Divine Uprising

Rachel Van Dyken

To all my readers… this one is for you!

When men began to multiply on earth, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw how
beautiful the daughters of man were, and so they took for their wives as many of them as they
chose. Then the Lord said: "My spirit shall not remain in man forever, since he is but flesh. His
days shall comprise one hundred and twenty years." At that time the Nephilim appeared on earth
(as well as later), after the sons of God had intercourse with the daughters of man, who bore them
sons. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown. (Genesis 6:1-4)

DIVINE

Chapter One

Athena

My whole life I’ve been taught to be good.

I’ve been good.

I remind myself of that every time the job gets to me. On days like today, when I look at what I’ve
done — repentance comes to mind.

I took in the complete and utter mess around me. By the looks of it, I clearly had a lot more in store at
the end of my life than normal people.

Normal.

The word itself mocked me.

My feet touched the cold slate of the floor. Blood pooled around the spike of my leather heels,
instantly making me feel irritated that I’d have to clean them.

It had been too easy this time. We were supposed to be looking at the apartment across the way.
Adonis convinced the real estate agent that I needed my space, so we boarded the elevator alone, and
when we reached the fifth floor, headed to the room where the human was waiting.

It was over before she could even pull the trigger on her .45 Auto, not that it would have done much
damage.

But after we found out she was trying to trap us for the Phantoms, her only remaining option was death
— not that it was an option to begin with. Death rarely was.

I rolled my eyes and knelt down by her body. I was literally standing in a mess of my own creation.
The form was pale and lifeless. Its entire source of energy… gone.

The Phantoms started this war. Now it was up to those who remained in His favor to end it.

It’s what Seekers did. They sought out the evil in the world that threatened to destroy everything pure
and good.

All I knew was that until the Phantoms were burning in Hell, my entire existence was spent saving the
weak human race from being destroyed by their own stupidity.

After taking a deep breath, I realized I only had two options: call for reinforcements or clean up the
mess myself. I decided against the latter. I didn’t feel the need to get dirty. After all, a girl hates to get

messy, and I was dressed in all white, the typical uniform of the Seeker.

I whistled to bring my partner Adonis around the corner, where he was most likely basking in the
glow of our victory. Not that he was any help. Well, I mean he had his uses. Each of the Seekers did.
Mine was to fight, his was to… entice. And I mean that in the literal sense of the word. He could get
anyone to do anything. Case in point: the young woman whose corpse I was stepping over had been so
entranced by Adonis’s face she didn’t even feel the sting of my knife in her back. One twist and she
was done for.

He blew her a parting kiss, his way of keeping it classy. And voila, case closed, mission complete.
His job was easy; mine was hard. Adonis never got his hands dirty, or his clothes for that matter.

His dark, curly hair and crystal blue eyes almost made a person uncomfortable, not that I would ever
admit that to him. It would make living with him absolute torture. Being his partner was hard enough
without having to live with a man whose ego was larger than that of the entire cast of Jersey Shore.
“So we cleaning this up, or are you calling in Headquarters?”

I rolled my eyes in disgust at his mention of Headquarters. Too much red tape. “Don’t do this,
Athena, don’t do that…”

I could tell Adonis thought I was about to do my usual “I hate everything about the rules in our
society” speech. He took out our card and made the decision for me. The card immediately melted
into the body, leaving a giant gold S in the middle of the corpse.

“I’ve sent the signal. Let’s go.” He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me in close to his body. All
six feet five inches of him was covered with thick corded muscles that made any ultimate fighter look
like a pansy.

I sighed into his shoulder, thankful that at least I’m one of the few Seekers whose partner was still
living, and followed his lead into the elevator.

“It’s getting harder for you, Thena.” Adonis pushed the illuminated lobby button and ran his fingers
through his hair. “I never thought I’d say this, but you’re losing your touch.”

I bit my lip to keep from causing him physical harm. “Me? I’m losing my touch?”

He shrugged in a totally Adonis way, which infuriated me even more. “I just killed her. I took her
down in less than five seconds. How on earth am I losing my touch?”

“It used to be less than three seconds.” He sighed.

“You’re kidding, right?”

He stopped the elevator and pulled me closer. “You’ve been doing this too long. Maybe my concern
for you gets in the way, maybe…”

The words were left unspoken, but I knew they were there. Behind the cool mask of indifference and

cockiness was a heart. He didn’t want me to become like so many other Seekers who ended up losing
their minds and being sent back to Headquarters. They were sentenced to live a life being hand-fed
bottles of medicine that made them forget all the horrible things they’d done in the name of saving a
few measly human lives.

“It’s not them I mind killing,” I said.

“I know.”

And he did. Phantoms weren’t meant to be walking among us. They were half-breeds: half fallen
angel, half human. Many of them still possessed powers nobody on planet Earth should know about,
let alone possess.

The humans had a word for our kind: Nephilim. We were also half-breeds — all of us. It’s what
made us different, what made us almost immortal, considering we were basically demi-gods.

It was the humans. The informants. The ones who mindlessly worked for the Phantoms, thinking they
have some sort of use, when really they were pawns in a much bigger game than they’d ever
imagined. Those were the ones I hated killing. Even if they were idiotic enough to think they had any
say in this war.

I stared at Adonis as his eyes searched mine. He brought his hand up to my face. I shuddered as his
touch brought me reeling back from the darkness that plagued me.

Touch.

It was what saved Seekers from turning into their worst fear: evil itself. A person could only see so
much evil, and commit so much in the name of a cause, before they truly forgot which side they were
fighting for.

The touch of another being, another energy source, was what kept Seekers balanced, and what kept us
alive. It was one of the main reasons Seekers were partnered up. We needed one another in order to
stay strong.

God help me, but Adonis was my strength.

His lips touched mine for a brief second before he pulled back and traced the outside of my jaw with
his finger. I leaned into him, nearly swaying on my feet as I did so.

“Better?” he asked, kissing the top of my forehead.

I sighed. “Better. Thanks.”

“Anytime.” He winked and moved back to push the button as I rolled my eyes. I needed to remind
myself to never give the guy compliments.

“Stop talking trash about me, Thena.”

I offered him an innocent look. He and I both knew he couldn’t read minds, even though some
Phantoms could.

Unfortunately, he also knew me well enough to guess almost exactly what I was thinking most the
time.

I knew I had to put my game face on. After all, the entire reason for going into the building had been a
set up. We needed to get into the apartment; therefore, we pretended to be apartment-hunting. I was
sure the real estate agent was waiting with bated breath for our take on the penthouse.

The elevator door opened, leading us back into the lobby where the real estate agent was waiting
anxiously. I took Adonis’s hand, as per our arrangement and laughed as I looked into his big, baby
blues.

“Oh, baby, it’s so perfect, let’s take it!” I kissed him firmly on the mouth, enjoying the fact that I got to
see him squirm. He hated being the one being hit on, considering his life’s work was doing the exact
opposite.

“So what did you think?” The real estate agent walked up to us in a full-out red leopard jumpsuit and
gold heels.

What I wanted to say was, “I should kill you for dressing like that.”

What came out was, “My boyfriend and I really need to discuss it.”

I plastered a grin on my face as Adonis worked his magic.

He leaned in toward the middle-aged woman and closed his eyes for two seconds before focusing the
weight of his godlike appearance onto the poor soul. “What do you think, Katrina?”

Katrina blinked a few times and sucked in a deep breath, before placing her hand on her heaving
chest.

Nice work, Adonis, you’ve officially given her a stroke.

I nudged him in the ribs, signaling him to back off before the woman started panting. Katrina shook
her head and giggled.

“I don’t know what came over me. Well, you two just take your time. You have my card. Call me if
you need anything.” Katrina said the last part with a suggestive wink toward at Adonis.

“Cougar,” I coughed as she sauntered off.

Adonis laughed and led me out the door to the waiting black SUV.

“So…” I exhaled once he got in on his side.

“Food?”

“Food.” He grinned and drove off faster than a bat out of Hades.

Chapter Two

I was gripping the seat like a vice. Adonis looked at my hands and snorted. Clearly he sensed my
irritated mood. So we drove up to the first fast food place he could find. I needed carbs, the only thing
that seemed to make my mood better — other than being in his arms for an extended period of time —
but that’s just uncomfortable for a number of reasons I didn’t feel like thinking about.

My head was spinning with possibilities. The war had been going on for as long as I could remember,
which by the way was quite a long time.

I’ve been around since close to the beginning.

The fall.

When angels chose the human race as mates, they went against their creator and creation in order to
please their carnal desires. Not the wisest of choices, considering the side they willingly chose meant
certain death.

Made my job that much harder. After all they were my family, my race. My entire heritage is evil. Try
sleeping at night with that little piece of information plaguing you. My whole existence is basically
Purgatory, fighting for Heaven while living in a personal hell. Really, it’s great.

My heritage was actually of the Nephilim, but by choice I lived the life of a Seeker, not a Phantom.
We’ve lost many Seekers in the war, those who do so much for the price of freedom that they forget
exactly who they are fighting for. The evil overtakes them like it so easily does our kind, and they are
forever lost.

My job as a fighter was to kill those who informed and those who threatened us. All together
Headquarters had only about fifty of us who walked around killing. The rest pushed paperwork, or as
Adonis strongly put it, “Sat on their butts all day and act like idiots.” I didn’t say we were perfect.
The Greeks called us gods and demi-gods, the Romans followed suit, and modern day society would
most likely call us freaks, vampires, or superheroes. You name it, we’ve been called it.

Adonis constantly complained about the ones who refused to fight. Hercules was his biggest
complaint, since he did nothing with his life except try to convince Hollywood producers to make
another movie about him. He was an actor, always had been, but even he wasn’t the worst. No, the
worst had to be Achilles, ever since that, uh, incident, he’d walked around with a chip on his
shoulder the size of the Grand Canyon. If and when we did see him, he was drunk. Nobody was really
sure if he would go with anyone to Eden when everything was said and done. Not that it mattered,
considering it could be thousands of years before we even got a glimpse of Heaven.

Adonis pulled into the drive-through and ordered the usual: two cheeseburgers, three large fries, and
water. For some reason, any sort of soda made Seekers drunk, as if we’d just had a barrel of rum.

“Penny for your thoughts, Thena?”

“You sure you want to know?”

He lifted his perfectly-arched eyebrow and shook his head. “How long have we been doing this?”

“Oh, please don’t make me count the years,” I grumbled, pulling out a hot fry.

“Yes, reminding you of your age is a sore point. Sorry for forgetting. You know you can always go
pout with Achilles if I’m aggravating you.”

“Not fair!” I yelled. “Do not pair me with him. Just yesterday Dionysus said the entire room was a pig
sty from that guy. I don’t see why he can’t just get over it.”

“He lost the Trojan War and the woman he loved, Thena. People don’t just get over things like that.”

I shook my head. “Yes they do. It’s been over ten thousand years!”

“Ah hah! See? I knew I could get you to mention age!”

I threw my fry at his face and stuck out my tongue. “You never play fair.”

“I’m Adonis. Whoever said I’d play fair?”

“Do you really need to remind yourself who you are over and over again? Yes, you are Adonis.
Congratulations. People love you. Women swoon in your presence.”

“I thought the real estate agent was going to have a stroke.” He passed me the water as I took a big
gulp and tried to talk at the same time.

“I could have sworn she was going to. You need to learn to back off sometimes. Humans aren’t used
to your…”

“Perfection?” he offered.

I threw another fry. “No, your presence.”

Adonis shook his head in disgust. “You’d think after all the movies Hercules has been in, they’d be
used to it by now.”

“One.” I held up my finger. “I think you’re jealous. Two, eventually people are going to start noticing
he doesn’t age, so his film career is basically over, and three… well, three, the movies are kind of
good.”

“If I have to see another Brad Pitt movie, I might go insane,” he lamented.

“Shh!” I swatted him. “You can’t just go around using their names together.

“Oh yes.” Adonis’s voice got quiet. “Because people will really believe me when I say an A-list
movie star is really a Nephilim.”

I smacked him on the arm and took my cheeseburger out. “When do we have to be back to
Headquarters?”

“Ten minutes ago.”

I groaned. “Please tell me you’re lying. We can’t be late again, or they’re going to give us the worst
assignments!”

He looked at me as if to say every assignment was the worst assignment, which is only partially true.
In return, I gave him a pitiful “I hate getting into trouble” look.

“Fine, let’s go.” He started the car in the direction of the Pike Place Market, downtown Seattle.

Chapter Three

It was always amusing to watch Adonis in public. Women couldn’t seem to help themselves. Yes,
ladies, he looks like a god. Greeks used to worship him for a reason. Those were the things I
couldn’t say out loud, even though it killed me inside.

Adonis loved the attention. He practically bathed in it. I, for one, got irritated by it. Men stared at me
the way women stared at Adonis, but I knew what men thought when they gawked at my five-foot-ten
form. It didn’t help that my hair was pitch black and my eyes an odd shade of violet. My pupils tended
to glow when I was upset, which, for a warrior like myself, was quite often.

Headquarters usually forced me to wear sunglasses in public, since I was perpetually offended
around humans. But what else would you expect from a warrior? I was always on the lookout, always
looking at the shadows, watching and waiting.

I hated to say it, but if someone was tall and attractive, I immediately found them suspicious. Not that
every movie star and supermodel was a part of the fallen race, but a good many of them could be, and
I didn’t like taking chances.

Adonis motioned for me to follow him as he walked against the crowds toward the pier. I trailed
behind him and tried not to make eye contact. Cat calls and whistles continued to plague us as we
made our way to the bottom of Pier 39.

“Do you see anyone?” I asked, scanning the deserted pier.

“We’re safe, stop worrying.” Adonis briefly touched my face again and kissed my mouth. I instantly
wished he would stop.

I hated feeling weak, like I needed him in order to survive.

I was irritated that I was attracted to the one man I’ve been told by Headquarters not to get involved
with. He knew it, I knew it. But Nephilim had more heightened emotions than humans; granted, we can
control them better. It didn’t mean we didn’t feel. And well… it was hard to feel anything but lust
when a man like Adonis was kissing you.

“Let’s go.” He broke the kiss and pinched my cheek. I could feel the color flowing through my veins. I
hated being weak after battle almost as much as I hated the fact Adonis didn’t seem to have any
feelings for anyone but himself. Yes, he cared for me like a sister, but I could almost guarantee he’d
choose himself over me any day. Adonis, thy name is Vanity.

“Are you talking to yourself and leaving me out again, Thena?” he asked as he pushed the elevator

button.

“Yes,” I said, turning toward him. “Too bad you can’t read minds.”

He grunted “I know you better than you think.”

If only that weren’t so true.

The elevator opened.

In we walked, waiting for the bone-crushing plummet that would kill a normal person. Under the
Puget Sound we go, to Headquarters, or as all Nephilim call it, Halcyon.

My nails dug into the gloves I was wearing, nearly cutting off my circulation as the elevator plunged
into the deep. After a few minutes, the doors opened.

“Ah, home!” Adonis announced, spreading his arms wide open with glee.

I felt like slugging him, but realized how childish it would be, considering I’m supposed to be a
mature several thousand years old, or something like that. I’d conveniently lost count.

“And how was the trip?” Janus asked scribbling on a piece of parchment the exact time of arrival and
what door we used to get to Headquarters. Seekers were asked to use the secret doors in a scattered
manner, so we weren’t followed.

“Door Seven,” Adonis said as we brushed past Janus, who was still squinting at the number on the
elevator. Adonis grabbed my hand and led me down the hall.

“You’ll have to wait like the rest of them,” Janus called out.

I rolled my eyes. Janus was the gatekeeper and supremely annoying. It was like he needed to control
people’s comings and goings. It was the only job he actually had as a Seeker.

The dude would die if he was sent out into battle. Sometimes I think he wanted to die. I’d probably
want to die too, if I had to sit and watch doors all day.

I turned and nodded my acceptance, then followed Adonis through the gold-encrusted doors into the
giant hall.

The rooms of Halcyon went on for hundreds of miles. The walls were thick-paned glass, making it
possible to see out into the dark ocean depths but impossible to see in. It was our way of not feeling
claustrophobic so deep into the sea. The Puget Sound was an impressive nine hundred and thirty feet
at its deepest. Men didn’t come down here, but if they did, they would be dead before they could
reach air again.

Other Seekers nodded as we passed them. Most were waiting for new assignments just like us. As we
continued on, I noticed the white marble floors were darkening to a black. The only time that

happened was when a Phantom visited. We didn’t take them prisoner often, not unless they had
information we needed. I, for one, didn’t think it wise, but Ares led us all, even though I didn’t trust
him. I trusted Michael, the archangel we answered to. He reported to the Light. As Seekers, we owed
the angels our allegiance.

We walked by a few waiting warriors, including Hermes and Apollo, both of whom were giving us
the signal to stop approaching Ares, but we never listened. Let me rephrase that: I never listened, and
where I went Adonis followed. So to the front of the room we walked.

“Ares?” I asked.

His muscles tightened as he stretched to his full height, an impressive seven feet of pure warrior, and
looked down at me with worry in his eyes. His normal uniform of pristine white was bloodied and
torn.

“Something happened, I gather?” I smiled, trying to lighten the mood, and looked to the side and saw
Hermes bite his lip to keep from laughing. To the left, Aphrodite was shaking her head to warn me to
stop talking.

“Yes, you are correct, Athena. How wise you must be to gather such intimate knowledge…” His
mocking tone irritated me.

“Do you need us for something, brother?” Adonis asked.

“We have one.”

“By one, I assume you mean a Phantom?” I said, bored that it was taking so long for the information to
get out. The adrenaline of the fight was still itching in my bones.

“He’s in the hold,” Ares confirmed.

“And the information he has?” I asked, wondering why everyone seemed to be so uncomfortable.

“In time,” Ares said. “For now, our leader asks for you.”

“Michael?” I called him by his first name.

I heard gasps and instantly regretted my familiarity. I’ve known him since my birth into this world.
After all, our leaders needed to keep their enemies close, and technically I was daughter to the worst
type of enemy known to mankind.

Guess I left out a minor detail: the leader of the Phantoms was my father. His name was Shemyaza.
He was the original — the one, who in a moment of pure genius, had decided to ruin the lives of
many. He’d led over two hundred Watchers to the earth to mate with the females. He’d found himself
entranced by their beauty. He was one of the few who had not been imprisoned in the Abyss after the
Light discovered the deceit of the Watchers, or as humans called them, Titans. No, his punishment
was to roam the earth with the Prince of Darkness. He ruled the Phantoms. His greatest desire was to

free the Watchers from the Abyss, to restore humankind to the hands of evil, making it impossible for
them to align themselves with Light.

It was only natural for others to keep a close eye on me, considering I was known for my cunning
battle plans and fighting. It seems I never lost. This translated into me being babysat more than usual,
considering the Phantoms would have loved to have me fight for them. Tough luck.

It might have been why I was so hard on myself. My family heritage would bum anyone out. It wasn’t
like I had the cards on my side; in fact, they were stacked quite heavily against me.

Adonis squeezed my hand, and I followed Ares into the inner chambers where Michael resided.

The room was full of so much light, it hurt my eyes.

A glowing figure of the whitest snow was sitting behind the mahogany desk. The Light was the reason
the Seekers wore white. Angels reflected the presence of El. We couldn’t help but be a reflection of
our Creator. We wore white to remind ourselves where our allegiance lay. When angels were
present, darkness was cast out. All Nephilim had a healthy glow about them. It was enough of a
difference that people took notice that we either had a really good skin regimen or something was
somewhat off with our appearance.

I tried to keep my bitterness at bay as memories of my past flooded my mind. Not that I personally had
anything to do with the fall or choices made by my people, but it still didn’t make me feel like I was
good, even though I so desperately wanted to be.

The large glass door shut, creating a vacuum-like seal behind me. I felt a whoosh of air as the room
stilled. The light faded slightly as my eyes adjusted. And then I saw his face.

It always made me want to cry.

Sitting behind the mahogany desk was Michael, commander of the angels and our leader, the one who
interceded on our behalf. We had been forever separated from El, not by our choices but by the
choices of the Watchers.

“Athena…” Michael’s voice sounded authoritative, strong, and every bit like the stereotype
Hollywood had come up with. It was deep, beautiful, and commanding. Unfortunately, within a few
minutes, my walls came crashing down. Angels had a way of making others around them either burn
with fear or fall down in worship.

Phantoms always screamed and ran in the other direction. Seekers tended to have a sense of calm. I
say it was a gift from God that angels didn’t terrify us; it would be hard to pledge my allegiance to
something I compared to the boogeyman.

I wasn’t sure if Michael actually wanted me to answer him, so I waited. The light faded until finally
he seemed like just a menacing giant sitting behind the desk instead of a ray of sunlight.

He still glowed, there was no doubt about that, but somehow he seemed… er, more approachable, if

that was possible.

“There has been a development,” he said in clipped tones.

Not good.

“I gather it involves me?”

“And your partner.”

Adonis tensed next to me. Gotta love his protectiveness; he hated seeing me in danger. Odd,
considering I’m in danger every second of every day, but I loved him for it.

Michael rose to his full height of ten feet and walked around the desk to face us. His movements were
fluid and musical. It was rumored the angels could always hear the music from the heavenly throne.
Every word spoken and every movement made was in perfect cadence with the heavenly song, the
song of Eden.

Michael had the usual sword belted at his waist. His long silver hair was tied at the nape of his neck
with a golden strap. I never ceased to be amazed at how beautiful angels were. Sometimes I
wondered if it made Adonis jealous that there were some creatures more attractive than him.

Michael wasn’t perfect, though; he had several battle scars along his arms, though they were what
some people might call markings. Tiny golden flecks that represented different battles fought and
won. To the naked human eye they were invisible — to us they weren’t. I liked to think it made
Phantoms nervous when they laid eyes on an angel like Michael, one so magnificent.

His eyes glowed, changing colors, only reflecting what he saw. When it was dark, they turned pitch-
black; when he was facing light, they glow. If he was facing me, which he was right then, they turned
violet to match mine.

It was kind of wonderful.

“We are ready,” I said, once Michael was standing a foot in front of me.

“You hesitated today,” he said, putting his hand on my head like I was two feet tall — which I kind of
felt like, considering he was so huge, his hand literally cupped my head like a baseball.

Adonis stepped forward. “It was my fault. I was cocky, irresponsible. It won’t happen again.”

“Your loyalty amuses me, for one who gives the appearance of loving himself above all others —
your first love is really someone else entirely, isn’t it?” My uncertain eyes flickered to Adonis, who
chose that moment of all times to break eye contact and let go of my arm. So much for sharing all his
feelings with me.

I pushed down the stab of jealousy in my chest. The fact he’d pledged his heart to someone else kind
of ruined my already crappy day.

Michael ignored the sudden onslaught of tenseness between Adonis and me and continued on. “You
are partners. You share equally in each success, each loss. You also share in the mistakes you make.”

He had us there.

“It wasn’t that you did anything wrong. The kill was flawless. The information you gained was much
help for Ares today when he fought your father, Athena.”

I suddenly felt ill.

“He’s not…”

I wanted to say he was not my father, but that was like denying the sky is blue. Yet I didn’t want my
identity to come from him.

So instead I said, “You’re more of a father to me, Michael. You know that.”

His smile warmed me instantly. A fire stirred in my heart. It was in those moments that I got a glimpse
of what it would be like to be a full part of the angelic race. When someone I loved, someone I
respected, warmed at my words, when we shared a moment of real intimacy, I, for a second,
glimpsed what it must feel like to be a part of the Family of Light. Another reason I fought. I wanted
so desperately to belong, to be a part of something.

“Ares had a difficult time today. We almost lost him,” Michael said, shattering the warm feeling
immediately.

“But that’s impossible. None of us have even come close to dying this entire time.”

Michael nodded slowly, then turned around and paced in front of us. “We don’t know why, but they
are getting stronger. The reason is not for us to know, but it would behoove us to find out exactly how
and why the Phantoms are growing in number.”

“But we can’t reproduce!” I blurted, and then awkwardly groaned out loud because I had just said that
in front of Adonis, the human idea of the perfect man. Fantastic, Athena. Keep talking. Maybe you’ll
embarrass yourself further.

“While that is very true, Athena, they have been doing just that. The only thing we can think of, is they
have started what the Watchers did so long ago.”

“No,” I said, not believing a word. “You think they are… mating with humans?”

“We think we have proof,” Michael said. “A phantom is willing to talk, but he asks specifically for
you, Athena, by name. After your father fled, Ares was able to catch this one. We have him in holding.
I trust you can use your effectiveness to pry some information from him.”

I nodded. “But what does this have to do with Adonis?”

Michael laughed. “Oh, Athena, you should know this by now. Everywhere you go, he goes. If you
die… so does he. You are together, never to be parted. That is what a partner of the Seekers does.”

I bit my lip. Adonis probably hated being my bodyguard, but looking at him now, I noticed he
appeared more worried than offended. The same look of concern I had seen earlier in the day was
now on his face.

“I’ll leave you then…” Michael said, glancing at Adonis. Angels had an uncanny awareness of
everything Seekers thought.

In an instant, Michael was through the doors opposite his desk, and we were alone in the chamber.

Slowly I turned to face Adonis, but he didn’t want to speak.

He pulled me into his arms, and for some reason I felt like this time was different. Yet how many
times had we embraced or kissed? He willingly gave me his strength, while allowing none for
himself. Granted, he didn’t fight, so he didn’t need it as much as I did. I hated it because it left him
somewhat defenseless. He could still kill a human, but if a Phantom snuck up on him, he’d be a sitting
duck.

His lips were on mine, crushing them, molding them against his, and then he lifted me in his arms and
opened my mouth with his. Being in such complete shock, I had no choice but to kiss him back.

He didn’t normally kiss me like this. In fact, I’ve never been kissed like this.

I tasted the honey of his mouth for the first time. The ecstasy of his tongue as it pushed against mine.
His teeth tugged my lower lip, and I honestly prayed he wouldn’t put me down. My heart begged him
to continue.

Power surged through me like I’ve never known, and then he stopped, nearly out of breath and
suddenly a lot paler than usual. He dropped me to my feet.

“Be careful, Thena.” His fingers brushed my nose as he dipped to kiss my forehead.

I was momentarily speechless. Questions burned in my head, but I knew it was not the time or place
to talk, even when apparently it was the time and place to kiss. Yup, life was officially weird.

Let’s go to the holding cell.” Adonis pulled my hand and led me back out into the grand hall.

Most of the Seekers lined the thick walls, pretending they weren’t dying with curiosity over why we
were the ones being sent to see the Phantom.

Ares had changed and walked toward us, his eyes blazing a purple fire. “I’ll lead you to the cell.” He
winked, giving me the impression his good humor had somewhat returned. It’s not every day one of us
faces death’s door at the hand of another angel. Most of us only fought other Phantoms. I suddenly felt
appreciative that Ares was such a strong person. I would probably still be shaking if I had to fight one
of the fallen ones. The Watchers were not ones I ever wanted to confront.

I handed my knives and gloves to a waiting Aphrodite; she smiled her usual brilliant smile that made
me want to hate her, when in fact she was the sweetest person I knew. Adonis seemed unaffected.
Ever since their falling out a couple of years ago, they’d been indifferent toward one another.

Sometimes I wondered if he wouldn’t rather be her partner. Then again, he’d probably be dead. She
was useless as a warrior, but as an enticer was amazingly good at her job.

“Let’s go get this over with.” Ares sighed and his boots clicked against the marble floor.

Chapter Four

As we progressed through the maze of hallways, the marble floor got darker and darker. Clouds of
black swirled beneath my feet, and with it my stomach got sicker. It had been a while since I’d been
stuck in a tiny space with a Phantom. Usually I snuck up on them and went in for the kill.

“Right in here,” Ares said, unlocking a bronze door.

I walked in and heard the door shut. Perfect. I was alone with the informant. Just where I wanted to
be. I instinctively reached for my knife then remembered I was unarmed.

Not wanting to give in to fear, I waited for my eyes to adjust to the pure black, and then in a flash the
Phantom took form, glowing from a cement seat at the edge of the room. He wore no chains, and a
look of grief passed over his perfectly chiseled face.

I’d spent my life fighting them, so I was used to the way they looked. They took two forms. The first
being something so blindingly beautiful that you immediately assumed Adonis had been walking
around procreating. The other form was their real form. It was also the form I haven’t had the
opportunity to see too often, and for that I’m thankful. It gave the words monster and demon new
meaning. Trust me.

He stood up, only reaching around six feet, which was quite short for a Phantom.

“It’s good to see you, Thena.”

“Don’t call me that,” I snapped.

He smiled, and deep dimples appeared on his face. With his long, curly, blonde hair tucked behind
his ears, I could have sworn he was the love child of some supermodel and A-list star.

He was wearing dark black jeans and a tight muscle t-shirt. His perfectly tanned skin gave off the
natural glow of the Nephilim, which basically looked like a good version of a spray tan.

“A little touchy today?” he asked, leaning against the wall.

Crap, when am I not touchy? Sometimes I thought I gave new meaning to the word moody. I’m sure
Adonis would agree if he was here.

“Seriously, what do you want? I don’t even know you.”

“It’s about your father.” He shrugged as if he wasn’t going to be killed in five seconds if he didn’t

give out more information.

I groaned. Where are my knives? I wanted to cause some serious damage to dimple man. “Be quick
about what you know,” I said, stepping closer. I put the most menacing look on my face I could
conjure up. I tried to be careful and not get too close, considering I was unarmed.

He lifted his chin smugly. “He has a message for you.”

“A message you all too willingly offered to die delivering?” I asked sweetly.

His nostrils flared as he slowly stalked closer to me. “Do you want to know or not, Thena?” Okay,
now I was really ticked.

“What!” I spat.

“He’s coming for you.”

Fan-flipping-tastic.

“Is that all?”

As quick as lightning he was breathing down my neck, behind me, circling me, entrancing me with his
nearness. Phantoms have a way of sensing your desires and feeding off your emotions, basically
feeding off you. It’s what they did; they were Feeders. They killed and possessed to survive. They
manipulated, and worst of all, they deceived.

“So beautiful, Thena. This shall be my pleasure. Have you ever wondered what it would be like…?”

I couldn’t answer. Claiming both muteness and temporary insanity, I tried to summon up the strength
of Adonis and keep my body still. Keep myself from giving into the deceiver’s words.

“You. Will. Lose.” His whisper was barely audible. His fingers lightly touched the side of my neck
as he leaned in to kiss it. I was frozen, unable to move, and still waiting for Adonis to possessively
burst through the door and save me from all this torture. But I heard nothing except my own labored
breathing and the hum of the Phantom’s nearness.

“We have found a way to finish it, to make many more of ourselves. I’m here to offer you a position
with your father. Before you answer, remember, certain death awaits you. The tables have been
turned, dear Thena. You are now on the losing side.”

“Stop it!” I yelled. Pulling myself away from him, I turned.

“We have Michael, we have Apollo, Adonis, Ares¯”

His laughter interrupted my outburst.

“And we, dear girl… have all of the Watchers.”

Chapter Five

Michael burst through the door, sword in the air. The granite split as he pushed the Phantom against
the nearest wall. “You lie!” I wouldn’t be surprised if the entirety of Seattle had just experienced an
earthquake. His voice had just broken the sound barrier.

The Phantom screeched and screamed, twisting underneath the full weight of an Angel of the Light.

“He has freed them,” the Phantom spat. “We have the original twelve.”

“Impossible,” Michael said, pushing harder as black ooze dripped from where the tip of the blade
met the Phantom’s neck.

“We shall see…” With a swift movement Michael chopped his head off and crushed it beneath his
foot.

Sheesh, and they said I had aggression problems.

Adonis was at my side in an instant. Waves of anger washed over him as he took in the scene.

A very angry-looking Ares was standing at the door with his golden bow and arrow in hand,
apparently ready to kill the Phantom on Michael’s behalf.

Michael turned to us, fury lacing the white of his eyes. He wiped the golden sword with this gloved
hand.

Angels do not fear, but I could see apprehension and irritation at the words spoken by the Phantom.

“I must talk with my brothers. We must see if what he says is true. I will send Gabriel to the Abyss.
Let us see if the Phantom spoke out of knowledge or fear.”

****

Waiting was pure torture. Adonis wanted me to bathe and eat. I wanted to join with the angels and see
if we could figure out what that crazed demon was talking about.

“I could have killed him,” Adonis said once we sat in our rooms in Halcyon. We had rooms there and
also rented an apartment in Ballard. Both of us liked the normalcy it brought to live in the city with
the rest of the humans.

Adonis poured himself a glass of wine and sat across from me. “I tried to come for you, to protect you

when that — that creature — put his dirty hands on you, but Michael held me back. Did he hurt you?”

The concern in his voice nearly broke my heart.

“No, he didn’t hurt me.” Quite the opposite, he made me feel, made me lust, and not the good kind. I
put lust into two categories: one being the kind that is evil and bad, the other being a nice
appreciation for things that are pretty.

This was bad lust. It was pure evil in form. The human side of me wanted to take as many showers as
possible to rid myself of the filth of that encounter.

I shuddered, and in an instant Adonis pulled me into his lap. His hands went to my face, touching me,
consoling my fluttering heart. Unfortunately, he didn’t seem to realize he was doing the opposite of
calming me.

Just what had that kiss been about?

And why in the world was I thinking about him kissing me, when eternity could be hanging in the
balance?

Foolish.

And yet, Adonis enticed. It’s what he did.

“Do you ever…” I felt myself slightly blush then gathered more courage. “I mean, have you ever
enticed me?”

He looked away, a smug grin plastered on his face. “I’ve never had to.”

“Adonis.” I pushed against his chest in anger.

He held me tighter. “I’m kidding, Thena. It’s been ages since I’ve seen you laugh.”

“It’s been three hours,” I said dryly.

“Exactly.” He purred as his perfect face neared mine. I could almost taste him.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

Adonis exhaled a long sigh. “Truly, I’ve never tried to entice you. I would never do that to you. It
would be entirely unfair… to both of us.”

Great. A loaded answer, just what I wanted.

“That kiss…”

“Helped your strength.” He tilted my chin toward his lips. “Am I correct?”

I nodded. Seriously, why in the name of Hades did the guy have to be so beautiful?

“Good, then it’s settled. I must kiss you as often as possible.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. I pushed against his chest again, this time using more strength. His hold
remained firm on my body. I was never uncomfortable in his arms. I smiled. His arms — where I had
lived for thousands of years. I couldn’t imagine having that ripped from me.

“You should be resting, not fighting against me.” He blew a kiss across my face. I felt it as if he had
truly kissed me.

I tried to close my eyes, but the only thoughts that plagued me had to do with Adonis, not the fact that
Michael would be returning with our mission. I couldn’t lose Adonis. If this mission went wrong it
could be fatal. I shuddered in his arms. If wisdom told me to leave him, I would. I would leave him to
save him.

I’d been fighting since I was out of adolescence, which for a Nephilim meant I had stopped maturing
at the ripe old age of nineteen. None of us knew why. None of us really cared either.

Sometimes I wonder if my brain stopped maturing as well, since a lot of my responses to things seem
immature. I blamed it on the well of emotions that had been gifted to our race. The ability to love had
always been the greatest gift to all mankind; now it seemed as if that gift was a curse.

Seekers longed for certain things they would never have: security, hope, a family. Forbidden words
among our people.

Adonis and others — the Enticers — mainly seemed to be happy with their lot in life. The rest of us,
the ones who see the fighting and bloodshed, we wanted so much more, yet none of us dared to hope
for that type of future. Our only hope was that one day in Eden it would come to pass, that is, if we
were lucky enough to survive through the war.

Some days I had my doubts.

I let out a loud sigh, and felt Adonis’s arms tighten around my body. His thick muscles radiated heat
behind me. It would be so easy to turn into him, to allow myself to be pulled into the essence of him.

Yet it seemed tragic that I would throw myself at him. I would be like every other woman in the
world, and I refused to be like them.

I closed my eyes and begged them to sleep, but it wasn’t until Adonis kissed me on my cheek and
hummed one of our ancient songs that my body began to relax.

Chapter Six

“Athena… my beautiful Athena, return to me.” The musical voice haunted me, causing a stirring in
my soul I’d never known until this moment. “You feel it too… I can sense your emotions, so strong,
Athena. They make you powerful, like a goddess. Let me love you.” I wanted to yell stop; the words
sounded so sweet yet completely wrong. “Let me find you… Let me search you out, oh beautiful
one. I want you for myself. You will be mine.”

“Who are you?” I said hoarsely.

The musical laughter chilled me to the bone.

“Your destiny.”

“I don’t understand.” I told my lungs to suck in air as the nightmare suddenly became too real.

“Thanatus…” Lips brushed across my ear. “For everything there is a time. Until then.”

“Thena, wake up.” Adonis was at my side. How did I get away from the couch? And why was I
crouched in the corner like some mental patient? It was a mystery. Adonis picked me up as if I
weighed no more than a feather and tucked me into my bed. I didn’t even flinch as he slid me between
the silken sheets and moments later, joined me. Fully clothed, he lay down and encased me with his
body; it wasn’t until that moment that I realized I had been shaking.

The nightmare seemed too real, the voice too soothing, too perfect. Was it possible to be too perfect?
It was everything I wanted to hear, yet it left me feeling evil and bad. Confused, I shook my head and
allowed sleep to claim me once again.

****

“Watchers,” I heard people mumble in disbelief as we joined the rest of the Seekers for breakfast.
The only missing figures were Hercules and Achilles, which wasn’t really that big of a shocker. I’d
be more shocked if they had shown up.

Ares’s head rested on his hands as he watched the sparring taking place in the practice room across
from the large marble table. The view of our kind fighting never ceased to take my breath away.

Michael trained us all, which is pretty awe-inspiring. Angels have a way of fighting that leaves a
person either screaming in fear or pumped with excitement. It’s not just that they move incredibly fast,
it’s the brute strength they pack behind each swift movement of their arms. Yet, watching them was
almost like watching a dance. A beautiful trace of steps that most likely followed the heavenly song,

like everything else they did in life.

Because we couldn’t hear the song, they had to teach us the steps and different types of strategies
through practice and memorization, thus the practice rooms.

By the look of it, Artemis and Orion had been training together all morning. Tiny beads of glistening
sweat were visible on both their forms, making them glow in godlike splendor. Humans used to
believe they were the god and goddess of the hunt because of the way they looked.

Artemis had hair like corn silk. Her skin was sun-kissed and beautiful. Everything about her screamed
fertile, if you get my meaning.

Orion, on the other hand, was built like a panther. Every movement seemed primal, as if at any
moment he was going to pounce and kill. It drove the Phantoms absolutely crazy. His hair was shaped
into a mohawk all the way down his head and flowed freely down his back. The bluish-black tint of it
set off his golden flecked skin. He was probably the only one of us who could go out into the
mountains of Siberia and find enough food and supplies to feed a small nation. It was humbling, to say
the least.

I smirked as Apollo scowled in the corner. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was contemplating throwing
a knife at Orion’s head. They’d been at odds for a great while, not that any of us would actively hurt
each other. However, I did sometimes wonder about those two.

I turned my attention back to the sparing match. Artemis circled Orion, a smug little smile on her lips.
She loved to hunt the best hunter. Orion shifted restlessly as he ducked another one of Artemis’s
blows to the head.

“Nice try,” he gloated, lifting his dagger over his head. “Old age slowing you down, Arte?”

If looks could kill, Orion would be dead on the floor, covered in blood, with Artemis standing over
him laughing. She looked ticked. The room shook around us. Her eyes glowed in response.

Everyone at breakfast was silent, entranced by the entertainment. But then people began taking bets.
Why was I not surprised? Of course they were. It was literally the highlight of our morning.

Naturally, I couldn’t help but join in. Anything to take my mind off the crazy nightmare and the
impending doom delivered via the Phantom yesterday.

“I’ve got my money on Artemis,” Adonis said, taking a seat next to me.

I thought about it, tilting my head as another mortal blow was blocked by Orion’s thickly muscled
arm. “Are you sure about that? He isn’t even out of breath.”

Adonis shook his head. “None of us run out of breath.”

“You know what I mean.” I shoved him, I’ll admit, a bit hard, sending him flying to the floor. In his
defense, he wasn’t really bracing himself for impact.

But the impact of his giant body hitting the marble floor beneath us was akin to a giant boulder falling
from the Space Needle.

“Whoops,” I mumbled, but it was too late. All eyes turned to me and my partner. Even Artemis and
Orion stopped fighting, now watching in fascination as Adonis pushed crumbles of the floor off of his
perfect body.

“Sorry,” I whispered, feeling my face heat.

I don’t really recall who said something first. My was on Hermes, since it was easier blaming all of
our woe on him, but a voice out of the gathering crowd yelled, “Fight!”

And suddenly Adonis and I were in the fighting circle, watching Orion and Artemis get refreshments
and sit down.

Apollo moved away from Orion as he walked by. I caught Apollo roll his eyes as he pulled Artemis
down to sit next to him instead. She smiled warmly and turned toward me in anticipation.

Perfect. Now I have to fight my partner.

And again I pleaded, why does everything have to be about fighting?

“Choose your weapons.” Ares was standing between us; he gave Adonis a slight pat on the back and
winked in my direction.

I chose a small dagger. Adonis chose a mirror.

Okay, kidding. He didn’t choose a mirror, but another shiny object he had a fascination with: a golden
shield used by many of the angels. I’m guessing he thought it would protect him from my dagger — not
with the way I used my weapons.

I’ve actually never fought Adonis before. I’ve never had to. We were on the same team, plus both of
us needed different types of training. I went to Ares or Apollo for training. I now looked to both of
them for help, but naturally they were taking bets with one another, while drinking the last of the
coffee I was hoping to snatch.

And the day just kept getting better.

I turned back toward Adonis and glared. His face was fierce. Why had I never noticed this before?

“You know it was an accident,” I said, uncertainty lacing my voice.

“I know.” He smiled.

“So we don’t have to fight.”

“I’m also aware of that.”

I shifted my feet. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

And then he laughed, the most aggravating laugh in the world, so I lunged for his jugular. And really,
it wasn’t my fault that it caught him by surprise. It’s not that he’d bleed out. I’d have to totally
decapitate him for that to happen.

My dagger missed his neck by a mere inch. He reared back with a guttural growl and twisted to the
side, hitting my back with the blunt of his shield.

I wanted to yell, but I’ve been trained to hide my pain and emotions as best I can. In return, I smiled
and resumed my stance. My body invited him to attack. I mentally calculated the steps he took as he
danced around me with his sword. His movements were light and fluid. I had a hard time keeping
track of the way he’d been trained. I’ve never watched him fight. Like I said before, he enticed. He
didn’t… battle.

He lunged again. This time his shield caught my forearm, sending my dagger sailing into the air.

I jumped to grab it but was caught mid-air by his hand. He threw his shield away and grabbed me by
the shirt. I twisted out of his hold and kicked him with all the force I possessed. He sailed into the
nearest wall, sending a ripple through the rest of the room.

People were scattering about, trying to follow the fight as it officially left the circle.

With a laugh, he pushed away from the wall and shrugged as if he’d been hit by a mere flea. It figured
he’d be cocky in his fighting as well. Just who had been training him, anyway?

I ran at him and slid to my knees, ducking under his arm just as his fist was about to come into contact
with my face. I moved away and swung toward his jaw again. He grabbed my fist and twisted me into
his arms, officially trapping me. I closed my eyes, trying to focus, then used my head to deliver a
blow to his nose. He backed up and shook his head.

Without giving him a chance to rest, I jumped into the air, twisting as fast as possible and landed in
front of him. His silly grin was enough to make me want to cause more than physical harm.
Apparently that trick didn’t dizzy the Seekers, only the Phantoms. Either that, or he’d seen me do it
too many times.

That’s when I realized he knew my every move.

I tried another trick where I attempted to distract him with one hand while using my leg to break his
kneecaps.

He grabbed my foot, pulled me into the air, and twisted me into his arms so I was facing him.

Despite the anger boiling in my chest, the world seemed to pause. He leaned down, and it’s then that I
felt it.

The dagger I had once sent sailing into the air, was now in his possession, conveniently pointed at my

jugular.

Everyone started to cheer, but I was frozen in place.

His eyes, the same eyes I’d known all my life, started to glow. But this glow was different than
before. He almost looked like Michael, but that was blasphemy. A Seeker could never be an angel!
Or even desire to be one! I tried to struggle out of his arms. But the minute I did, he leaned down like
he was going to kiss me. I waited in anticipation. My eyes started to flutter closed, and then he
whispered, “I think you lost, Thena.”

Honestly, I couldn’t think of anything intelligent to say. Not even “Yes.”

The knife dropped, and I wiped the sweat from my neck.

Apollo ran up to us, positively exhilarated. “Wow, Adonis, I never knew you could fight…”

“I did…” Aphrodite winked as she sauntered by. I told myself she couldn’t help but be that way, and I
really did try to remember that she’s kind. I lunged for her anyway. To my utter shame Adonis held
me back. He rolled his eyes, suggesting that I was one fight away from the loony bin. Probably the
truth.

Apollo, youthful Apollo, had stars in his eyes as he rapidly fired questions about Adonis and his
training. I’ll admit it wasn’t normal for an Enticer to know how to fight so well. Which begged the
question…

Why?

And then I heard it, the Heavenly Horn. It shook the room. Everyone fell silent. The Horn sounded
seven times.

I quickly took my position, kneeling on the floor as the angels appeared.

My curiosity peaked as I raised my eyes to not one, not two, but all three archangels of old.

In that moment, on my knees, shaken by absolute fear, I realized we were in big trouble.

Chapter Seven

My vision was blurred by the radiant burning light in front of me. I silently wondered if I was the only
one brave enough to try to make eye contact.

It was a complicated enough feat with only Michael standing before me, but with all three of the
angels? Crap, good luck with that, most people figured it out after they lost their ability to see.

The echo of the trumpet reverberated through the marble-floored room, and then complete silence fell
over the room. The only thing audible was the sound of my own breathing. A tiny bead of sweat
rolled down my cheek. I watched as it splashed onto the floor, appearing to drop in slow motion.

“Rise.” Michael’s voice rang crisp in the air.

In unison we got to our feet. All of the Seekers were gathered in one place. It’s the only time of day
this would happen, since we work at night.

Never in my existence has Michael stepped foot inside our training arena. He had his own area he
used for special purposes, but he didn’t join us. That was another reason I knew they’d brought bad
news.

My eyes flickered to Gabriel and Raphael, both were figures I had only seen in battle when
absolutely necessary.

Gabriel brought messages to and from the heavenly courts. He didn’t fight often, but when he did,
let’s just say he caused a ruckus. He wasn’t exactly a rule follower when it came to combat. He’d
level an entire city to kill one Phantom if that’s what it took.

Raphael, on the other hand, was the Healer. He carried vials of medicine with him, not that many of
us ever needed it, but in the rare case of humans working with us, he had, at times, had to use his
powers to heal others.

El had given him the ability to heal anything, but with that power came a responsibility I would never
want. It’s too easy to become corrupt with that kind of power.

Michael himself dealt with spiritual beings who’d become corrupted by power. The same beings that
fought on the side of the Phantoms. The Fallen, was how they were known, though many humans just
called them demons.

Gabriel’s white eyes pierced through me. He nodded and then gave a sad smile that I knew wasn’t
just reserved for the situation, but for what we would have to do later. His long, white hair cascaded

in waves down his back, free of the ties that Michael’s had. His heavily muscled body was clad in
golden armor. Again, not a good sign.

Michael, too, was in full armor. Everything shone with gold and bronze. All three of them were
carrying swords that came up past my waist.

“We have confirmation.” Gabriel spoke first, stepping forward. “The Watchers have been freed from
the Abyss.”

“Why?” My bluntness shocked me. I closed my eyes, hoping nobody heard. Instead Gabriel
approached me. I gulped. We’ve never actually had a conversation before.

“Athena.” The way he said my name made me believe it was the most beautiful thing to ever cross his
lips. “Your questions will be answered soon, but I, for one, am curious.” His head tilted to the side.
“Why so much fear?”

I wanted to yell at him that I wasn’t afraid, but I was. I was terrified, and I couldn’t explain why. Ever
since I’d awakened, I’d had this sickening feeling that my dream, the Phantom, the Watchers — it’s
all connected, and I couldn’t help but feel I was somehow the missing piece.

“I see…” He stepped back. Shoot, I’d forgotten they could read what I’m feeling and thinking. “I
wondered the same thing, Athena. We shall talk later, you and I. Agreed?”

I nodded my head, because really, what else was I supposed to do? Say no to one of the Originals?
No way. No, thank you.

“The information we’ve received has been given to us at great cost.” Michael reached out and patted
Raphael on the shoulder. A single diamond-shaped tear fell from Raphael’s face. “We have lost many
good humans in retrieving this information. May they rest in peace with El.”

“May they find El,” we said softly in unison.

Out of the corner of my eye, Adonis made a gesture toward Michael. I wasn’t quick enough to see
Michael’s response, but he immediately looked to me, alarm in his eyes. He then whispered
something to Gabriel, who nodded his head and looked down.

Awesome. So great to be left out of the loop.

“Within the next few hours we will brief each of you on your assignments. Please stay as close to
Headquarters as possible. Each of you will work in teams. If you still have a partner, then you will
work with your partner. If not, then we will assign you someone.” Michael took a deep breath, the
brightness of his body starting to fade. “One final thing.” His eyes flickered to mine. “The leader of
the Phantoms has elected a right-hand man.”

I waited in absolute dread and torture.

For my sake, they didn’t often mention my father’s name. And for years he’d been the sole leader.

Again, not good information, considering he’d worked solo for as long as I could remember.

Raphael finally spoke. “The catch is that we know nothing of his origin or his name. We only know
that he is unlike anything we have fought before, and, Athena, forgive me, but I hear your mind
working. It’s remarkably fast.” He flashed me a warm smile “So to answer your question, what we do
know about him is this. He’s a Dreamwalker, a siren of sorts. He can get into your psyche and make
you believe things that aren’t real. The biggest problem we have seen is that he will play to your
human emotions. He will make you believe the lie your forefathers so easily fell into. That you can be
a god.”

The room buzzed with the new information. How many of us have been compared to gods? Yet you
don’t see us walking around demanding people worship us. No, because in our hearts we know the
truth. We are the spawn of the Fall. We are the living product of what happened when perfect beings
were given the choice between pride and service. It was easy to laugh when humans worshiped us,
because we seemed so pitiful next to how incredible even the angels are. Why would they worship us
next to them?

Yet it made sense. For the biggest battle has never been physical, but spiritual. At the end of the day,
the only thing that matters is who has ownership over your heart and soul.

“We shall meet later.” Michael nodded at all of us and motioned for me and Adonis to follow him.

Awkwardly, because I was still a bit sore from the fight, I fell into step behind the three archangels as
they led us across the training rooms and into the conservatory. I didn’t visit the area often, because to
be honest, it kind of creeped me out. Trees and flowers lined the walls. It had the appearance of a
greenhouse — if it were possible to have a greenhouse this far below sea level at the bottom of the
ocean — which it’s not, by the way.

The vegetation was kept alive by, well, I guess humans would call it magic. But really it’s just one of
the great many mysteries of El. He thought it would be nice for us to have, so… poof! We have it, and
it doesn’t really make sense to us how we have it or how it works. It just… does. Kind of like all of
his creations.

I grasped Adonis’s large hand as we walked to the closest bench and sat. He gave me one of his
serious looks. The kind that immediately made me want to crack a joke to ease the tension.

Probably not good timing, since I have three menacing archangels staring at me as if I’ve committed
some sort of crime.

“The dream? Why did you say nothing until now?” Raphael demanded.

Easy, killer.

“It happened less than a few hours ago. I wasn’t sure if I was just…”

“Did he say his name?” Gabriel wanted to know. All of the angels paced as Adonis squeezed my
hand in encouragement.

“Yes, I remember, I…”

“What?” Adonis asked. “Tell them his name.”

“I can’t,” I said as a tear escaped down my cheek.

“Why?” Michael ‘s face furrowed with concern.

“Because I don’t remember. All I remember is… the song.”

Adonis released my hand and grabbed my shoulders to face him. “He sang to you?”

I nodded. “It was a short song. I — I remembered it earlier today when we were fighting, but seeing
all of you seemed to nudge it out of my memory. I know I sound crazy but—”

“Not crazy, Athena.” Michael sat on the other side of me. “He’s a Siren. You’ll only remember when
you’re not in our presence. Promise me you’ll tell Adonis everything you know as soon as you can?”

“I don’t understand…”

“We are perfect,” Gabriel said, though his voice held no conceit, just pure honesty. “Evil cannot get
close. His powers are not strong enough to break through the hold we three have on you. In our
presence, his evil is not strong enough to cause you to remember.”

Simple answer, I guess.

I suddenly felt like I’d been battling all day. My head drooped then snapped up. “Where did Adonis
learn to fight? I thought he was only my partner for…” I knew it wasn’t important, but I couldn’t help
but be curious.

“For enticement?” Michael offered lamely. And I would have said he was lame to his face if I hadn’t
been so worried of being obliterated.

I licked my lips and nodded as Adonis grinned next to me.

“I was wondering when you would discover his abilities.”

“His abilities?” I echoed.

Michael smiled the first smile I’d seen since his arrival. “He’s been training with me since the
Beginning.”

“Of?” I prompted.

“The Beginning,” he repeated, and then I knew. Well, crap. I’ve been giving Adonis a hard time for
our entire partnership, and here he’s an angel-trained fighter. Wonders never cease.

“Your assignment.” Michael changed the subject and handed Gabriel a piece of parchment.

Gabriel opened up the parchment, and his eyes flickered across the page. His head suddenly jerked to
mine, then Michael’s. It almost looked as if he didn’t want to read what it said.

“Read it, Brother.” Raphael put his arm on Gabriel’s.

“Athena and Adonis, you are hereby assigned a Black Mission. Communication will not be
possible. You may not return to Headquarters for anything. We will not help you. Nobody will
know your location or progress. Rendezvous will take place a week from today in Gasworks Park
at midnight.”

I felt alone and confused. It’s not normal to go out alone, to go without any aid from Headquarters.
“Where are we going?”

Michael motioned for his brothers to exit with him, then turned to me. “Into the Fire, sweet Athena,
into the Fire.”

Chapter Eight

Two hours later

“So we’re supposed to just sit here until someone walks up to us and offers us a tourist map?
Seriously?” I kicked another can and crossed my arms. “And how cryptic can a person get? Into the
Fire, Athena. What does that mean? Literal fire? I hate fire.”

Adonis rolled his eyes for the twelfth time and took a swig of water from his pack. “Thena, I swear, if
you complain one more time…”

I mimicked his words then took a seat on the cold cement bench next to him. We’d been waiting by the
Seattle Monterail for what seemed like forever. A person was supposed to deliver a map. That’s all
we knew, and then he was going to take us into a hidden club of some sort. Sounded like a bad TV
show to me, but that’s the only intel we’d received. So there we sat. Bored and alone. I didn’t want to
count the rat that ran by my foot a few minutes before; it was too depressing.

A homeless man pushed his cart past us, an all-time low for a Seeker, by the way, and then stopped in
front of Adonis. His shaking hand held out a tourist map of Seattle. As Adonis reached for it, the man
flipped the book. On the back, in scratchy black writing, was one word.

Cell.

Great! A word that rhymed with hell! That should get us far.

“Go down…” The man shook his head back and forth, back and forth. “…down, down, down,” he
said. And then I realized… the man was possessed. He had to be. Every instinct told me he was
human, but his eyes were red, blood red. His skin was so papery thin it looked like it was merely a
mask for something else, something creepier than his battered face.

“You go down…” he repeated, pointing to the ground. His eyes suddenly rolled back, and he laughed.
Wow! Even better. Just like a horror movie, only worse.

“Listen,” I said getting closer, “give us the information or¯”

His head turned as his crazed eyes took in my face. “He is waiting. Now you must go down.”

I was ready to ask where. No, that’s a lie. I was ready to kill the man, even though we didn’t kill
humans unless absolutely necessary, when he suddenly opened the map. His movements sped up,
almost as if he’d been overwound and released. His hands pulled at the different pages, flipping them
one at a time, giving the appearance of a fan being unfolded in front of us. And that’s when I saw it.

The word cell was written several times, but when the pages fanned out, they worked almost like a
comic strip. Pointing down the street, under the tunnel, and into a side exit.

“The key…” He laughed then threw it into the air. Adonis swiped it out of the sky, and with the same
motion, hit the man across the face.

A hiss escaped the man’s mouth as black ooze dripped from the side of his ear. A blood-curdling
scream erupted from his mouth, and he disappeared down the street, shopping cart in front of him, like
a bat out of hell.

“That was…”

“Weird,” I finished.

“Well, at least we know where we have to go.” Adonis grabbed his pack and led the way.

I laughed. “Yes, we go down… got that part solid in my memory.”

Adonis ignored my sarcasm. No small feat, considering I could feel him tense next to me. He was
usually in better humor.

“There.” He pointed to the overpass.

We walked up to the door located beneath the overpass.

“So, what? Do we just use the key to unlock it and go… down?” I asked.

He shrugged and pulled out the key from his pocket. “Might as well try.”

The minute the key connected with the lock, it was sucked in. Adonis released it as the key twisted on
its own, emitting a nerve-racking sound of metal-on-metal that made my skin crawl.

The door slowly opened. A man at least seven feet tall was waiting on the other side. He looked like
he should have been playing for Seattle’s pro-football team instead of guarding some sort of club as a
bouncer. He was almost as wide as the door and looked to be just as crazed as the homeless man.

“The name’s Styx, and you are?”

“I’m Adonis, and this is Athena. I believe someone is expecting us.”

The man’s eyes turned red then back to a rusty yellow. “Ah yes. Seekers. Follow me, but first pay the
toll.”

Seekers don’t usually travel with cash — who needs cash these days? I looked helplessly to Adonis,
who, in turn, looked helplessly toward our fellow Styx.

“Seekers,” he grumbled then pulled the key out of the door. “This will do. Now, don’t fall behind.”

We followed him down a stairway that lacked any sort of railing. If I was afraid of heights, this
would be my worst nightmare. When the homeless man said down, he meant down. By the looks of it,
we were traveling at least sixty-six stories down into the earth. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but
still.

My stomach fluttered with every level we traveled. The walls were rocky and black. In fact,
everything was black. I heard nothing but my own footsteps as we continued down.

Adonis kept his hand on my lower back. The only comfort I had was that he hadn’t somehow been
stabbed or fallen to his death.

The stairs ended at a large red door that was at least twenty feet tall. Above it, in neon lights, was the
word River.

I wanted to ask if that was the name of the club, but bit my tongue instead. The guy leading us didn’t
look like he was up to any joking remarks.

Styx opened the door and closed it behind us. The entire room we entered was covered in red and
black velvet, from the panels on the walls to the tables and chairs. Pure-blood Fallen were lying
casually around on couches. The entire ambiance felt… drugged. There were also humans
participating in whatever the entertainment was, which meant it was only a matter of time before they
would die. Some party.

The music sounded familiar, but I couldn’t really put my finger on it.

A beautiful woman appeared in front of us.

“Follow me,” she ordered. Her tight black leather jumpsuit looked like it was painted on. I tried to
keep my mouth shut as people stared at us. Men and women alike were sprawled across any open
space, many of them had glazed looks on their faces.

“What’s wrong with them?” I whispered to Adonis.

“They are in a relaxed state.” The woman in front of us turned and pointed at a couple next to my feet.
They looked completely wasted. Both were conscious and still drinking from some sort of red cup.
I’d seen the same red cup in others’ hands.

“Would you like a sample?” the woman asked, motioning to the bartender in the middle.

“Um, no, we’re here on business,” I said lamely.

“As you wish.” Her smile was tight as she led us farther into the club. The inner circle was clad with
dark black couches in twelve rows, all circling one another. In the middle stood a man.

“Athena,” he said. His lips did not move, yet I knew it was him speaking.

I glanced at Adonis, but he wasn’t even looking in the same direction as I was.

“How do you fare today? I hope it wasn’t too much trouble coming down…”

Adonis was still looking around.

“I’ve decided I want to talk only to you, my love… if that isn’t too much to ask?”

“It is,” I said trying to sound bored.

“Who are you talking to?” Adonis asked.

“Fine.” The man gave a disappointed pout and clapped his hands. Adonis’s eyes flickered to the man,
so I knew he was suddenly visible to him. “Sit.” He motioned to the couches.

We walked around the circle and joined him.

“Refreshments?” he asked.

Neither I nor Adonis responded, so the man excused the waitress near us and pressed a button on his
seat. The curtains around the circle closed, leaving us utterly alone.

“I don’t work for Seekers, and I don’t work for Phantoms…” He lit a cigar. “ But I will tell you this. I
don’t appreciate being told what to do or how to run my business, is that understood?”

He didn’t let us answer.

Brushing the jet-black hair out of his eyes, he leaned down and took a sip of the red liquid in front of
him. “I’m a creature of the Underworld. We report to no one. That is, until the end, and I don’t plan on
dying anytime soon, so get that out of your head, Beautiful One.” He looked seductively at Adonis,
and I suddenly felt ill.

“I’m sure you have no idea what this place is, and if you haven’t guessed it by now, I don’t feel the
need to inform you.”

“Feeders,” Adonis whispered. “They feed off blood and souls.”

“Ah, the pretty one has a brain, does he?”

The creature leaned forward and closed his eyes as he sniffed close to Adonis. It wasn’t lost on me
that the man was somewhat, er, attracted to him. But most of the Underworld worked that way. If they
were attracted to someone or something, they took it. But this man was different. He didn’t look like
the Phantoms, yet he fed on souls and blood, which meant he needed them to be sustained. Phantoms
could feed on anything. I quickly tried to put the pieces together.

“You’re a descendent of the Phantoms,” I said, finally resorting to guessing. “You are third
generation, which means…”

“Yes, yes, they’ve been reproducing. Tell me something I don’t know. I grow bored of ignorant

people. Where did you think the stories came from?”

“Stories?”

He took a long swig of liquid from his goblet. Blood trickled down his chin. He swiped at it with his
hand and licked the blood away from his fingers. “Yes, the stories of vampires and werewolves?
Where have you been living?”

“The information, please?” Adonis changed the subject.

“Ah, yes. It has come to our attention that a certain force has been… raised up? Yes, I can see by the
look on your faces that much is true. Like I said, we only serve the side that benefits us. At this point
that side is the Seekers, though I am loath to admit it. The Phantoms have tried to control us for far too
long. We like to be left in peace. We don’t harm those who don’t wish for it. I know someone who is
willing to help you.” The man turned toward me. “In fact, I think you may be familiar with him, dear
girl…”

Right, because I’m familiar with Phantoms, witches, vampires, and werewolves.

“Seth?” the man called loudly. “Come out, dear.”

My eyes grew large as another man suddenly appeared in our small circle.

Crystal blue eyes that glowed like ice stared back at me. With skin a mesmerizing color of bronze and
curly blonde hair, I suddenly forgot to breathe.

“Seth, this is Athena.”

“I know.” His voice… oh, I was in trouble. At times like those I wished I had Nike with me, but she
had been out of the loop for ages. Now she only serves in the Heavenly Courts. Traitor.

Seth was drop-dead gorgeous. He and Adonis could be brothers. Wow. I wondered if Adonis saw the
beauty in front of him. I was jealous, and I was a female.

He walked purposefully toward me, all seven feet of him. A grey muscle-shirt stretched across his
broad chest.

I felt warm and fuzzy as he took a seat next to me. His breath fanned my face as he exhaled in my
personal space. I shivered a bit as his eyes seemed to pierce my cool demeanor.

“I’ve been waiting for a thousand years to meet you, Thena.”

“That’s it,” Adonis grumbled next to me, and before I knew it he had managed to squish himself
between us. “The information please?” he demanded.

“I am the information.” Seth winked.

“Say hello to your new partner,” Seth announced, his words smooth and beautiful, almost as if he was
singing them rather than speaking. Suddenly, it was just the three of us: me, Adonis, and apparently
our new partner, against the evil of the Darkness. How bad could he be?

Chapter Nine

Words escaped me. The blaring loudness of the club faded into the distance as Seth rose from his seat
to sit on the other side of me and put his hand on my leg. I was normally one of those personal space
people. I got irritated if anyone breathed the same air, let alone touched me.

Not Seth.

My eyes followed the direction of his hand as his fingertips brushed my thigh. His fingers grazed my
skin, and I swore in that moment I could feel the heat from his hands, even though I had layers of
clothes separating us.

“Partner?” Adonis choked out the word. I wanted to warn him not to kill unnecessarily, especially
since we were supposed to be the good guys. If this guy was going to be our informant, so be it; but
did he have to be so blazingly attractive?

It was at times like these I wondered what I’d done to deserve such punishment. With Adonis on my
right and Seth on my left, I felt something akin to extreme unfairness beat in my chest.

No woman would stand a chance against even one of them.

And I’ve got two.

Yay.

El and I will have words later… if, in fact, I ever did make it into Eden. I threw my eyes up to the sky
for good measure, in hopes that the Creator of the universe would take note of my plight, then realized
it was probably all in vain. He didn’t care about my inability to speak in front of attractive people,
not with the Watchers free from the Abyss.

“The information you know. Can’t you just tell us?” Adonis asked, clearly grasping at straws. He rose
from his seat and began pacing in front of me, probably wishing he had a good reason to end Seth’s
life.

“No,” Seth answered smoothly as he brushed a blonde curl out of his eyes. Every movement he made
seemed, not necessarily calculated, but smooth. Almost too smooth. Which sounded bizarre, even to
my ears. There was something very off about his mannerisms.

He knew I was thinking about him because suddenly his eyes flickered back to mine. He smiled sadly
and said, “You can ask, Athena. You don’t have to hurt yourself trying to figure it out. We’ll be here
all day with how slow your brain is working right now.”

Adonis choked on his laugh then put a stern look on his face.

“What are you?” I asked bluntly.

“Fallen,” he said, looking down at his hands. “I’m Fallen. It’s how I’ll forever be known.”

“Fallen from?” I asked, hoping he meant a tree or something else high and not the place I was thinking
because if I was right with my guess, our newest partner was a fallen angel.

“Really, Thena, sometimes you can be so dense, “Adonis piped in. “You’re a fallen angel? One of the
Originals?”

“We should go.” Seth rose and bit his lip. “And to answer your question, does it matter what I was?
All that matters is what I am. I am defined by it, and I live by it.”

He stretched his hands over his head, making me immediately regret having stood so close. His body
was perfect. “What’s important is that we complete our mission and rendezvous. I refuse to meet with
your angels. I can never look at the face of perfection again. Not without feeling… suicidal,” he
finished, and a shadow crossed his features. “So I can only be a partner to both of you until you meet
with the rest of them.”

“Right,” I said, looking to Adonis. “So what next?”

“Next we go down.” Seth grinned happily.

“I thought we were already there,” I replied, ready to punch the wall. If one more person talked in
riddles I was going to lose my mind.

“Just where is down?” Adonis held out his hand and possessively brought me into the cage of his
body. The exact way a protective lover would have done.

I wanted to say, “Easy, tiger,” but instead I found it sweet that he felt the need to protect me from all
things male. As if I couldn’t protect myself. Please. I’d slit Seth’s throat in less than a minute if I had
to.

Except you’re losing your touch, are you not, sweet?

I whipped my head around, desperately trying to see which direction the voice had come from.

“Thena, you okay?” Adonis asked.

Seth gave me an odd look. Both men waited for me to say something. The hairs on the back of my
neck stood straight up. I nodded my head and pulled away from Adonis.

Seth reached out and touched my skin. “Better?”

And suddenly it was.

“Yes, uh…”

“Don’t worry about it.” He seemed almost embarrassed. “Ready yourselves. Where we go, no Seeker
has gone before.”

“Cute, you should tattoo that somewhere on your body,” I said under my breath.

Adonis laughed. Seth seemed less amused. Do angels never joke? Even fallen ones?

As Seth led us out of the club, I was half-tempted to ask him more about his life, as well as if he had
wings. I’d never seen wings before. Not even Michael’s. Sometimes I wondered if they even had
them. These were the things I should not have been contemplating while Seth led us down a darker
hallway than before.

“You afraid?” Adonis whispered into my ear. I closed my eyes, imagining it was just the two of us,
and my stomach did a nervous flip-flop.

“No,” I said, unsure of myself.

“Good.” He kissed my cheek. “I’ll never leave you, Thena.”

“Let’s go, you two,” Seth called from ahead.

Yes, taskmaster; we’re coming.

We walked down a series of darkened hallways that looked a lot like Hollywood’s version of a
haunted house. I was fully aware things really do go bump in the night, so I’d admit to being a bit
more on edge.

We stopped in front of a giant black door. Of course, everything is black when you go down.
Naturally.

“Before you can fight your enemy, you have to know him…” Seth pushed open the door. It groaned
under the pressure.

I gasped as we walked inside a room filled with what looked like stars. Everything was black. It felt
like we were standing outside of the universe looking down at the planets. I could see Earth, Jupiter,
Saturn — it was trippy to say the least. The stars nearly blinded me from where I stood.

I’ve seen some pretty crazy things in my lifetime. This had to be the coolest out of all of them.

“Where are we?” I asked, hoping he didn’t say down one more time, lest I punch his perfectly
chiseled jaw, sending him into the nearest planet on my right.

“It’s a portal of some sort. Only a few know of its existence. And now for the story.” Seth raised his
hand above his head, light shot out from his eyes and fingertips, and the room around us started to
spin. I held onto Adonis for support. He was like a rock, immobile even though the room was

spinning out of control.

The noise of the spinning was just as unbearable. I was ready to cover my ears, and then everything
froze. Stars were no longer on the walls, but right in front of my face, objects were paused mid-air
like someone had walked in and pressed pause on a movie.

Seth cleared his throat and closed his eyes.

I glanced down. My feet were on the Earth, zoomed in on a small village. I waited for Seth’s voice to
begin, too entranced to whine for him to hurry up.

“The Watchers were just that. They watched from Heaven. Several stories have been told about this
particular breed of angels. I find a need to clear the air concerning my relatives. The Watchers were
stars. Day and night they would watch the humans. Their job was to protect them, to make sure no
harm came to El’s creation. They became obsessed and entranced by the beauty of what God had
created. How could they not, after being forced to watch without any sort of guidance except to
protect and love?

“So protect and love they did. But even love can turn into something evil if you allow it to become
something far worse — obsession.

“The Watchers became utterly obsessed with the women of earth. They would watch them bathe, eat,
drink, dance, and laugh, and suddenly were envious that they could not join with them. That the weak
men of the human race were able to mate with the women made the Watchers furious, for they had
been admiring and protecting the humans for generations.”

The room shifted, and I watched in horror as one of the stars slowly began to spin toward the earth,
and another and another until two hundred stars shot straight to the ground, falling from the sky.

“Two hundred stars fell from the sky that day.” Seth turned toward me.

My heart was not only sick, it was heavy, for I knew the sacrifice that had been made. I could feel
Adonis’s hand on my shoulder.

Seth continued. “The Watchers fulfilled their lustful desires. They slept with the women, who soon
bore them children. The children, as you know, are known as Nephilim. Many of them were destroyed
in the Great Flood.”

“But not all,” I interrupted, suddenly feeling ashamed of my heritage.

“No, not all,” Seth said softly. “The women bore what the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans referred to
as the gods. Many of the Nephilim keep the human names given them, because when they were created
—”

“We were given no names,” I interrupted. It still pained me to think about it, of the parents we’d had.
The Watchers cared so little about the product of their lust that they forgot to name us.

“Precisely,” Seth said. “The children of the Watchers were an abomination, given no identity but that
of evil and sin. Out of their unholy union, Nephilim were born. And then the great battle began.”

I watched, paralyzed, as a reenactment of the Nephilim, my people, being born took place in front of
me. Humans ran away from us, frightened. And then I saw him.

My father.

I fought the bile that rose in my throat as I watched him seduce my mother and, in turn, possess her.
She became enamored with him, yet once he’d had his fill of her, he left her. I watched as she beat at
his giant body to stay with her, to stay with the child. And then I saw myself, hiding behind my
mother.

My father reached out and touched a piece of fallen hair on my shoulder.

“We will meet again, Daughter.” His voice was thickly accented like many of the angels who’d
fallen. It sounded alien yet so familiar.

With that I watched myself turn away and hide.

The battle was just beginning.

Suddenly an explosion from the sky blinded me. I turned toward Adonis, and he held my trembling
body. Seeing my father had been too much.

Thousands of angels descended to the earth. Disbelief washed over me as I watched the innocent
Nephilim hide with the humans, while the Watchers battled the great armies of El.

I was once again reminded of the powers the Watchers possessed, for they were fallen stars, a race
created by El, and they were magnificent. Azazeel, my father, knew how to create weapons out of
iron; he also knew incantations that would confuse the armies of El. Several other Watchers knew
how to read the wind, knowing the precise time to attack.

The Watchers who stayed back were as immobile as stone. Their eyes turned completely white,
rolling into the backs of their heads. Simultaneously thunderclouds appeared and threatened to take
down the angelic army.

It was then I remembered more of the stories of old. For humans now referred to the Watchers as the
Titans from ancient Greece. A chill ran down my spine. What would humans do if they knew the
truth? That everything they’ve ever known, every story passed down for entertainment was, in fact,
truth, and much worse than even their imaginings.

The battle went on for seven days and seven nights, until finally, El’s army took over. Azazeel barely
escaped with his life. The rest of the Watchers were chained and sent into the Abyss.

Michael opened a hole into the earth, and Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel threw the ones who had fallen
into their tormenting prison.

“You will be judged with the rest of the human race… when the End comes,” Michael said. Fire from
Heaven descended, setting a ring around the cell.

“May you consider what you’ve done and repent, for only El can help you now.” The last words were
spoken, not to give the Watchers hope, but to make them understand that with the free will they’d been
given, came dealing with the consequences of choices made.

I couldn’t handle watching the story unfold. I felt like I was reliving the most horrible experience of
my existence.

Seth cleared his throat. “Watch, Athena. There is more.”

Michael, Raphael, and Uriel stood in the middle of the earth. Their eyes roamed around.

“We will watch over them,” Michael said, turning to his brothers.

“An abomination, yet still living. What shall we do?” Gabriel said as the Nephilim slowly crept out
of hiding.

“They are living, breathing beings, but not normal. We give them the choice, Brothers. We let them
choose, just like El lets us choose. Their destiny is not ours to decide.” And then Michael did
something I’ve never seen him do.

He wept.

I felt a solitary tear slip down my cheek, the memory finally coming back to me after so many years.

I observed myself letting go of my mother’s skirts and walking slowly to the menacing-looking angels.
Everyone watched in awe as I approached the weeping angel and lifted my arms. He knelt down to
face me.

I took his beautiful face in my hands, and with tears streaming down my young face, I said, “I’m
sorry.”

I was so very young still, but as Nephilim, we grew extremely fast and were able to speak within a
few days of being born.

“Little One, the choices of those around you are not your fault,” Michael said, then he reached for my
hand, and with little effort, pulled me into his arms.

“Brothers,” he announced, still holding me. “We give them the choice, for Light is always stronger
than Darkness.”

Nodding their approval, the three angels began walking through the camps picking up the Nephilim.

I watched the angels continue to visit us. Time passed in the room as I watched my life on fast
forward: the first meeting with Adonis, the training with the other Seekers, and then…

The day that changed the battle between good and evil. Forever.

Chapter Ten

I could feel Seth watching me. I didn’t know if he was gauging my reaction to the next part of the
story, but I mentally prepared myself for the visions soon to be in front of me.

Trying not to clench my hands any harder into Adonis’s side, I continued to watch. Seth was silent as
the story continued.

“The Nephilim started to take sides. Many of them began where the Watchers left off, sleeping with
human women. As you are now aware, they had been having children who were even worse
abominations than the first. For these children were taught at a young age to satisfy the lusts of the
flesh.

“They became carnivorous, consuming the flesh of other people and drinking their blood.” I bit my lip
in frustration as I watched them seduce and take the lives of young women around the earth.

My father appeared again, this time looking more beautiful than before. Animal fur covered him from
head to toe, and on his head was a crown of rubies.

“It is time to choose,” he said.

The Nephilim split down the middle. Half of them went to the side of what we now call the Phantoms.
The other half stayed on the side of the angels as Seekers.

Suddenly the sky turned black.

Rain began to fall; everyone scattered, even the Phantoms, but it was too late.

“The Great Flood was sent to punish mankind for their evil, not that it did anything to those who
possessed gifts like the Nephilim; nor did it keep the Sons of Man that survived the Abyss from
continuing their campaign against the Light.” Seth reached out, and everything vanished.

I could feel the salt of the water as if I was experiencing the Flood again, even though I’d been put
into a deep sleep during that time, awakened only by Michael.

Like I said, he had been like a father to me from the very beginning.

I didn’t want to ask Seth the obvious question, so I looked to Adonis. Understanding the question in
my eyes, he cleared his throat “So we fight the Watchers? Or as humans know them, the Titans?”

“Yes.”

“And how many are freed?” Adonis asked.

“All of them.”

“I was hoping that was an exaggeration,” I said, finally understanding why the archangels had looked
so upset. “So we fight against the Phantoms and the Watchers? Who is going to help us?”

The question hung in the air. I looked from Adonis to Seth. Seth didn’t seem to want to answer my
question.

The room turned black, and the stars disappeared; I was falling into a pit of nothingness, and then his
voice came to me.

“There is no us, Athena.”

Confused, I waited for him to clarify. Seth was immediately in front of me, and Adonis was slammed
against the nearest wall. I cried out to him, but my voice would not cooperate.

My mouth opened to scream as Seth blew into my face. His breath smelled like honey, and I was
instantly drawn in. I wanted to bathe in his presence. My body convulsed as if it had taken a direct hit.
My soul was soothed at his words, yet I knew it was all wrong. My body wouldn’t listen, and it
pushed towards the voice. I was desperate, starving, and needed him to be closer.

“Like I said before, Thena, there is no us, only you and I… only you and I. Do you get it, my love?
My sweet, beautiful one? I will search the ends of the earth for you. You are my obsession, my life.
I want to possess you…” Seth’s face transformed into that of a relative stranger. A heartbreakingly
beautiful being, full of light. I was scared to touch him, but my body craved it.

His lips crushed mine and stole. They took but didn’t give anything in return. My treacherous body
allowed him to steal all of my energy; I freely gave in, knowing it was wrong, and then, as I was
coming out of the dream-like haze, something hard hit me across the face.

“Athena, wake up!” Adonis was standing over me, concern written all over his beautiful face.
“Thena, can you hear me?”

“She’s passed out,” Seth said, looking bored yet somehow stronger than before. Was it possible that
in the time I had been on the floor, he had grown? He’d been in the dream with me, hadn’t he?

My head ached. I wanted to scream.

“What happened?” I asked, feeling suddenly weak.

“You fell,” Seth said.

“Fell? When? How? I had this dream, I…”

Adonis pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead. “Why are you so weak? What happened to

you, Thena?”

“I… I don’t know. I just had this terrible nightmare, and then you slapped me. I don’t think I dreamed
that up.” Adonis had the good measure to be a trifle embarrassed as he winced apologetically.

“We must go,” Seth announced, looking at me as if he could read the thoughts in my head and see the
terrible waking dream I’d just had.

How had he been in it? I was losing my mind. Seth was there to help us, not to seduce me out of my
wits. Was I that attracted to him that I would dream these things up?

Slowly, I got to my feet and allowed my body to lean against Adonis’s.

“You’re too weak. I don’t understand,” Adonis whispered against me, and then his lips were on mine.
His hands touched me everywhere, and I didn’t care. I was on fire. I was so weak, and I needed him
so desperately I wanted to cry.

My body reacted to his immediately, and I felt bad for being so parasitic in my need to be attached to
him.

He pulled away, the light draining from his face. I felt better but knew it was at great cost to him. “I’m
so sorry,” I mumbled, touching his bruised lips.

“Don’t be… what I give you, I give willingly.” He kissed my cheek, and we followed Seth out,
hoping the guy hadn’t watched that unnatural display of affection and strength.

I followed both men blindly. I had strength from Adonis, but my wits were absolutely fried.

Seth led us out of the room and into an elevator. I hoped we would be able to find some rest soon. My
body was exhausted, and I knew Adonis needed time to recuperate.

“We will rest soon,” Seth said, not looking at either of us. “But first I would like to show you one
more thing.”

“Perfect,” I mumbled.

The elevator stopped with a thud, and the doors opened with a whoosh, letting us into a lush
apartment.

“Please tell me we get to sleep here,” I said, gaping at the plush couches and flat screen TV.

“You get to sleep here.” Seth laughed, and then his expression turned concerned. “Adonis, why don’t
you go to sleep? I’ll take care of Athena.”

Adonis looked to me to see if it was all right; we didn’t often go to bed without one another, which
sounded immoral and totally inappropriate, but it was more of a protection and comfort thing. The guy
never touched me when we were actually in bed together, let alone kissed me.

“Go,” I found myself saying as I pushed him toward the hall where I hoped a bedroom awaited him.
Nodding, he walked off, leaving Seth and me alone.

“Hungry?” Seth winked and trotted to the kitchen.

Surely that was a trick question, because I could have sworn Seth saw the greed in my eyes, as I
looked at the gourmet kitchen. I was suddenly ravenous without any clue why food looked so good.
Normally, I needed to eat maybe once a week, but now it felt like an entire cow wouldn’t be enough
to satisfy my appetite.

“Pasta?” Seth asked, flipping on the lights.

I looked guiltily back to where Adonis had disappeared. He had taken such a hit when he gave me his
energy earlier. Granted, I still felt tired, but I knew Adonis was the one who had suffered more. Faint
bruises had lined his lips after he’d kissed me, probably from the force with which he pushed his
mouth against mine. It was like he had been desperate to replenish what I had lost, as if the entire
safety of the world depended on it.

But that would be crazy.

Even I, in all my selfishness, knew that I wasn’t that important. It was odd that Adonis had been acting
so sacrificial lately. One would almost think he was… growing a heart. His behavior toward me in
the past twenty-four hours had been more than selfless.

My stomach growled again.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Seth beamed then began to boil water. Not one to claim domesticity, I sat on a
barstool and yawned.

“Do you want any help?”

“Athena, don’t pretend you know how to cook anything.” Seth rolled his eyes and grabbed some pasta
out of the pantry. “And at this point, I think you’ll be more of a hindrance than a help.”

Point taken.

Seth’s movements were fast, concise, almost unrecognizable. The man was one big conundrum.
Nothing about him made sense: him being our partner and the freaky dream I had about him which still
had me slightly scared. Even the way he moved around seemed odd, as if he was moving to an
otherworldly tune.

The fact that Seth seemed to have grown bigger over the course of a few hours made my insides
flutter, but not in a good way. His arms, once just toned, now looked beefier, like he had been
chugging protein shakes while telling us his little story. His height hadn’t changed as much as the bulk
of him. His t-shirt looked like it was ready to rip away from his body. Not that I would mind if it did,
I just found it slightly distracting and inappropriate for a working business relationship.

“I could just take it off, Thena. I mean if that would make you more comfortable.” He flashed a cheeky
grin before dumping the pasta into a bowl.

Super. Apparently I had forgotten about a couple of tiny, albeit important details: angels could sense
emotions, sense thoughts, everything about us. I should have known that. Even though he was
considered a part of the Fallen, he would have that talent as well.

Talent. The thought made my brain swarm with possibilities. If he’s Fallen, that means his perfect
state has been altered, which means…

“Seth?”

“Just say it, Athena, before you embarrass yourself.”

I bit down on my lip before speaking. “What do you look like?”

Seth stopped moving. I noticed the flex of his muscles against his shirt as his hands pushed against the
granite of the countertop. His head hung as if a cloud of darkness had suddenly taken residence over
his body. The room shifted. Cold trickled in, leaving me nearly breathless, and then, I saw it. Icicles
began forming across the table and underneath my fingertips. The steam was flowing off the pasta in
puffs of white vapor. Seth, immobile, tilted his head back. Muscles tightened across his back through
his shirt, almost screaming for release. Slowly, I rose from my chair and walked toward him, noting
that the temperature had to be at most zero degrees, given the icy glory of the room. If Adonis hadn’t
been a few rooms away, I would have had the good sense to be frightened right about then.

As I approached Seth, I reached out, hoping to put my hand on his. Even though I’m not really sure
what good it would possibly do. I guess it was the human side of me, yearning to be empathetic and
comforting, which was probably better than the demon killer side right about now. Especially
considering what I was comforting.

Seth’s head snapped in my direction, his eyes a blaze of red. I jerked my hand back. Logic finally
seeped into my consciousness that this angel, although on our side, was more dangerous than I could
have imagined. For he was the absence of light and everything I’ve fought over thousands of years to
protect.

I grew chilled at Seth’s touch as he reached to cup my face. The red of his eyes glowed and I could
almost see the demon inside. Slowly, the transformation began. Pulling his hand back, he let out some
air, and his shirt ripped to shreds. His body, once beautiful and unmarred, was then absolutely
covered in tattoos, from head to toe, in black and silver markings. I felt dumbstruck as he turned
around. His back was covered in one large tattoo that resembled wings. The tattoo was silver, lined
with giant feathers, but hanging from them was a touch of blood that dripped down his back. It looked
so real that I felt I could touch it. That if I just wiped up the blood, it wouldn’t be the reality he had to
face. I lightly brushed my fingers over his back. I was stunned when I felt warmth on them. Looking at
the sticky substance on my hands, I realized what was taking place wasn’t possible, yet it was
happening. Blood dripped from my fingertips, and then in an instant, Seth grabbed my hand and pulled
it in front of his face. The red in his eyes expanded and nearly filled in the white. He reached down

and licked the blood off my fingers as his eyes rolled back. I wanted to pull away, but his grip on me
was strong and intense.

I was weaker than I realized, considering he was still holding me in front of him. Normally, I would
have been able to have him flat on his back by then.

When he released my hand, he began to show me other markings on his arms. They appeared to tell a
story.

What is with this guy and stories, anyway?

The tattoos glowed under his touch. His words flowed from his lips in rapid succession. “Cast out of
the Heavens to suffer alone. Flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone.”

“Seth?”

A blood-curdling scream erupted from his mouth. I heard a ripping sound that made me want to pass
out. He turned around again. The wing tattoo was suddenly real. Wings burst out of the tattoo on his
back, though half of each was missing. Damaged, as if someone had taken a knife to them and cut in
haste without care for the person they were attached to.

Seth’s voice interrupted my shock. “A reminder.”

“Of what?” I whispered, my voice audibly shaking.

“What I am.”

I reached out to touch part of the white and blood-stained feathers. He looked away and said with
choked words, “Marked.”

Seth’s eyes transformed from red to white, a brilliant white to be exact. The silver tattoos on his arms
lit up, and his hair grew all the way down his back right before my eyes. His face turned hard like a
statue. He smiled, and in that moment I couldn’t breathe. I’d been given a glimpse, a very small
glimpse, into what he used to be.

It wasn’t until Seth reached out to wipe away my tears that I realized I was crying. I hated showing
weakness, but it was heartbreaking. It reminded me so much of what had happened to my brothers and
sisters when they’d chosen to fight with the Phantoms. It killed me and infuriated me at the same time.

I know El was fair and just.

I just hated that humans, in all of their sin and corruption, were given second chances, while those
like Seth were not.

I calmed myself down and managed to catch my breath. Seth led me to the couch. I sat in relative
silence while I watched him transmute back into his normal form. I tried not to stop breathing
altogether when I got another glimpse of his perfectly sculpted chest and abs. Wisdom told me to look

away, but like a moth, I was drawn to the flame. I took in the curves of his chest, and the way his
breath seemed to be laborious as he moved fluidly back into the kitchen.

I was suddenly thankful angels were always fully clothed rather than in their state before the Fall. I
closed my eyes and waited for the food to be done. I felt exhausted. Yet, when my eyes closed, all I
could think of was the fact that Seth would forever be separated, never given a second chance. And
my heart was again weak for the partner given to us. After we’d won, after the Titans were defeated,
what would happen to the ones who were Fallen once they’d sworn their allegiance? Would they
continue to live as outcasts, or would there be a place for them in Eden as well?

“Nobody knows, Thena,” Seth answered, bringing a heaping pile of pasta with him to the couch. “And
to be completely honest, I’m not sure if I care to know. What’s done is done. It would be unfair of me
to ask for more from Him, whom I betrayed.”

“Fair?” I choked. “How is any of this fair? Don’t get me wrong. I understand that consequences must
be faced, but…” I sighed, not able to finish my sentence.

Seth smiled sadly. “Still so young and innocent.”

My vanity took in the compliment swiftly, but I was still perplexed, and to be completely honest, a
little leery of him and his stories. I looked up with questioning eyes.

“Yes.” Seth put the plate down “You’ve been around since your beginning, but what about mine?
Have you any idea how long I’ve been around?”

My mind wanted to quickly work the figures, and then I realized no numbers came to mind, naturally
because he was first. He’d been around since the creation, since El had first made the world what it
is and was. He’d been around when others fell; he had been around when the choice was made for
him by his brothers. Before my conception, he’d been alive and breathing.

“Now, shall we eat? You look positively starved.” Seth rubbed his hands together and threw a fork at
me. I snatched it out of the air and dug into the pasta.

“They will come for you, Thena,” Seth said, watching his hands. “I’ve been told to inform you. I’m
nothing but your guide, as well as your protector in case things go… wrong.”

“They? Things go wrong?” I swallowed. “What are you talking about, Seth?”

“The angels, the Seekers, all of us need you to do something. It’s why you’re here, why I told you the
stories of old. Why Adonis is resting up.”

I lifted my eyebrow in curiosity. “And just what exactly is supposed to happen?”

Seth pushed away from the couch, a curious smile on his lips. “When you were named, you took on
the identity of Athena. Can you not put two and two together?”

“Four?” I said lamely, trying to change the subject. Shifting in my seat, I looked up again. “You need

me to make some sort of wise decisions on your behalf or something?”

It was Seth’s turn to shift uncomfortably. “Sort of. Athena, we need you to convince the Titans, or the
Watchers as you know them, to fight on the side of the Seekers.”

“And when you say we?”

Seth cleared his throat “I mean the powers that be. The archangels. Apparently you are the only one
who will be able to convince them.”

His eyes hinted at something more.

I lowered my head. “Because of my father?”

He nodded.

“Right, so everyone expects me to sit quietly and plead our case to a Watcher in hopes that they will
give up their horrid ways and turn to the Light? In what world is that even possible? And I’m sorry,
Seth, I don’t care who my father is. You and everyone else are asking too much of me.”

“It’s your assignment,” Seth said calmly.

“I thought I was supposed to find out about my father’s new right-hand man and all that. I thought I had
to get information about the Watchers and deliver it to the archangels, hopefully killing my way
through downtown Seattle.” I nudged a noodle from my plate and sighed.

“So you’re upset because you don’t get to kill anyone?” Seth joked.

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I live for blood. Didn’t you know?”

The moment seemed frozen as Seth leaned in. “I know more than you realize, Thena.” His voice
sounded musical and familiar. His face contorted, turning into the most beautiful glow I’d ever seen.
His eyes blazed with fire. “You are mine. You will do this, Thena. We need you to do this.”

Confused, I shook my head, and my eyes blurred; then Seth was next to me again. The normal Seth.

“Thena, are you okay? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.” Seth patted my hand and smiled.
“Sometimes I wonder about you and your little waking daydreams.” He got up from the couch and
took the dish out of my shaking hands.

Why was it Seth always turned into that nightmare I had? Why him? Why not Adonis? I shook my
head, trying to get the thoughts to jar from my brain.

“How many are we visiting?” I asked.

“The Watchers?” Seth clarified. “One. You will visit one. For now.”

“And the rest?”

Seth paced in front of me. “The rest follow. If you can get the one to stop this madness, or at least get
him to side with you, then we have hope. We need them to understand the ramifications of bringing
humans into the fight, of starting an all-out war between the Heavenlies. The theory is the rest of the
Watchers will give up.”

“Right, because they’re known for making sound decisions.”

“I said in theory, Athena. Don’t be such a smart a—”

A yawn interrupted Seth’s crude remark, and I looked up. Adonis had just entered the room looking
like he’d had the best sleep of his life. “Oh, pasta. Don’t mind if I do. Thanks, Seth.” He took a plate
from Seth’s outstretched hand and piled a heap of pasta on it. “So, I take it you’ve told her then?”

I groaned out loud so nobody missed my frustration. “Adonis knows too?”

“Well, I do have some purpose, Athena.” He winked at me.

I contemplated throwing my pasta in his lap, as my eyes seared him with a hot glare.

“Besides, don’t you want my help when you start getting visitations?”

“Why does the word visitation have to sound so creepy, especially when you two say it? I am a
grown woman, after all. I think I can handle a visitation. Even if it does suddenly feel like I’m in
Dickens’s Christmas Carol, waiting for the Ghost of Christmas Past.”

Seth shared a look with Adonis before answering me. “Would it help for you to know that the
Watchers are far more beautiful than any ghost in Dickens’s made-up story?”

“No.” I scowled and crossed my arms. “What would help is not being left in the dark anymore and
getting my job done.”

“Fine.” Seth pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. “As a marked one, I can’t do anything except
help Adonis protect you. With both of our strengths, you should be able to hold your own against the
Watchers.”

“Both of your strengths?” I looked at Adonis through pensive eyes. “Adonis?”

He lifted his shoulders as if to say, Sure why not? I’ll fight for you.

Perfect, I have a fallen angel and a beautiful enticer on my side. What do I have to fear? Oh right,
death by Titan. Lovely.

Chapter Eleven

Seth’s constant movement nearly did me in. Frustrated, I jumped up from the couch and walked over
to the window. We’d been waiting for the first visitation for hours. Adonis was keeping watch, while
Seth tried to sleep. An activity he’s terrible at because his body isn’t made for it. None of the angels’
bodies are, but when they fall, they become human and distorted in their needs, wanting food, sleep,
intimacy — only it was much worse for the cursed. Their emotions and desires are so blindingly
strong that many of the Fallen became so tangled in debauchery, they no longer remember their origin.

Apparently, Seth was no exception to the sleep rule. You’d think he’d been wrestling with Hercules. I
shook my head in dismay as he nearly fell off the couch. He looked at Adonis, who wore his typical
bored expression.

I turned back toward the window, taking in the view, or lack of it. The apartment had the feel of a
high-rise penthouse, but we were still far below the city. The window looked out on a tunnel that I
guessed was used for the old subway, which used to run downtown. Luckily for us, nobody ventured
down here anymore — except monsters like the Titans.

Would they knock? Announce their presence? Earlier, I’d armed myself with five throwing knives as
well as two pearl-handled.45s, in hopes that if my anger gets in the way and the wisdom of the gods
doesn’t descend upon me like everyone hopes, I’ll at least be able to defend myself.

“Where are they?” I asked, slightly defeated, as I leaned my head against the glass-paned window.
Everything was dark and dead-looking, except for a tiny light at the end of the tunnel. My vision
couldn’t reach that far. All I could see was the blinking light. It had been on ever since I’d been
standing there. My guess was it was as bored as I felt.

I sighed and turned to look again to where Adonis was sitting. He was gone. Within seconds, I felt his
breath on my neck. “Nervous, Thena? My, my, you are a little jumpy, aren’t you?”

Slowly I turned to glare at him, but once my eyes met his, I was rendered mute. All the glory of the
Heavenlies was on display for me to see. Adonis was beautiful, no doubt. But his grace, the way he
moved, the way he licked his lips, everything about him was sensual. I took a laborious breath,
cursing myself for the weakness I felt descend upon me like a cloud. Adonis inclined his head to the
side, reached out, and ever so lightly touched my arm.

Seriously, the man could charm a streetlight.

I made a move to slap his hand away, but he grabbed it, and, with a quirk of his brow, brought my
fingers to his mouth and began kissing them. His beautiful lips curved into a seductive smile. Those
dangerous lips pulled and then he licked at one of my fingers. I thought I would pass out from ecstasy.

How could I ever for one second think Seth was attractive when I have a man like this standing next
to me?

His body was rock solid, his eyes predatory and sensual at the same time. I was transfixed by his
eyelashes and how they fanned across his high cheekbones. Suddenly I wanted to slit Aphrodite’s
throat for ever touching him, not that they were anything but old partners, but still.

Jealousy and possessiveness threatened to overwhelm me, and then with a moan, his hands were in
my hair, drawing my face closer to his. His lips felt hot. Desperately I clung to him, wanting — no
needing — to be as close to him as possible, wanting to breathe his air, needing his oxygen, needing
his scent. Sandalwood and honeysuckle teased my senses. I opened my mouth to drink him in.

The room faded away.

His hands were all over me, touching, pulling, kneading.

“Adonis…” I mumbled.

“Not now,” he snapped, then picked me up and slammed me into the wall by the window. He pushed
my hands above my head and trapped me. His assault continued. Drugged by hunger for his mouth, I
allowed myself to drown in the feeling, not wanting to ask questions as to why he was being so
forward.

I wanted to possess him like he possessed me. I felt out of control as my body reacted to every single
one of his touches, as if he was setting me on fire. And then it hit me.

The jerk was enticing. My back arched against my better judgment, curving into him.

“Selfish jerk,” I muttered as he took my mouth again.

He laughed against my lips and took my tongue into his possession.

As suddenly as the kiss started, it ended, and something hit my head.

I shook it, and my vision became cloudy. Adonis was gone. Confused, I realized I wasn’t against a
wall; I wasn’t being trapped by him. I could still feel his breath on my neck. Hadn’t I turned around?
Hadn’t I? Had I imagined the whole thing? I touched my lips. They were still buzzing from his kiss.
My entire body felt like it was on fire.

“I promise,” Adonis whispered, pulling me back into the comfort of his body. “I have never enticed
you… until now.”

“So that wasn’t…”

“Real?” I felt him tense. “No, but, Thena, it could be, you have no idea how many times I’ve—”

“He’s here,” Seth said, jumping off the couch like he was ready to pounce.

My heart pounded in my chest. What exactly did Adonis wish? And why was he enticing me?
Naturally, it was a good distraction, but what did he mean about it being real. He couldn’t just
distract me whenever he thought I needed it, and he couldn’t maul me and then not finish his sentence.
Arrogant man.

Sensing my questions or maybe just knowing me too well, he leaned in and whispered, “We’ll talk
later, Thena.”

“Adonis, never again. Don’t ever do that again without my permission.” I felt my hands shaking as I
grasped at his shirt, needing him to understand how off-axis I felt at the moment. It had felt so real,
and I felt robbed that it wasn’t. I was embarrassed my treacherous body was still shaking from the
encounter.

He nodded and turned me around to face the giant light beaming in the room. “Like I said, Thena,
we’ll talk later. For now, prepare yourself. It seems the world can stand still without someone
carrying it on his shoulders.”

“Wha—” I began to ask, but I was dumbstruck by the visitor in front of me.

“Atlas,” I said breathlessly.

Smiling, he reached out to me, touched only my head, and the room went black.

****

I closed my eyes against the sting of wind as it snapped against my face, throwing my hair all over the
place. My hands immediately went to my knives, making sure they survived whatever waking
nightmare I was experiencing.

“Athena,” he said, his voice so similar to that of Michael’s and the other archangels: strong, smooth,
and confident with a following touch of echo, as if they desired to stay in the air longer than what was
necessary.

“Baraqijal.” I called him by his real name, not the name assigned by mankind, but the true identity
given by Him.

The wind shuddered around me. Or was it Atlas? I couldn’t tell. Everything was black. I felt like I
was in nothingness. Hanging above the earth, unable to move, and completely numb except for the
constant feel of wind against my face.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“Up.”

“Perfect. You know, I was wondering when everything would start getting cryptic again. First I went
down, and now I’m up.” I fought to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. Atlas laughed as thunder
sounded in the distance.

“So, I take it we’re in the sky then?”

Afraid to move my hands, I stayed immobile, and then I felt a presence in front of me. And like a
switch had been flipped, the lights came on.

I desperately wished they would have stayed off. It wasn’t that I hated heights I just hated that I had to
be focused on not falling rather than any enemies sneaking up on me. It seemed wasteful.

Hanging out in the stars was not exactly my idea of a fun time. I glanced around. Stars sang and
glimmered in the dark like diamonds on a black blanket of velvet. I could only hope I was
experiencing another hallucination, and I wasn’t really suspended miles above the earth. I was
optimistic and turned toward my tour guide, wondering if part of my curse was to be surrounded by
beautiful and evil men.

I wouldn’t mind carrying that burden, if every single one of them wasn’t so unavailable or terrible.

“So.” The word escaped my lips in a whoosh as I fought for composure. Atlas, all ten feet of him,
was covered in head-to-toe black armor. A midnight sword hung from his belt. His eyes, a curious
shade of crystal blue, stared back at me. His hair looked identical to Michael’s, long and silver but
tied at the neck. A tiny piece of red made itself known at the front.

My curiosity was peaked “What’s this?” I asked, reaching out. Intuition told me if he was going to
hurt me, it wouldn’t be at this moment.

“I thought Seth told you about us,” he said with a sad smile.

“Obviously not.” I tilted my head toward his, trying to get him to understand I was his friend, not his
enemy.

“Marked, all of us. Seth has cut wings, like so many of the fallen ones, but he’s different than us.”

“Different how?”

He snapped his fingers and motioned for me to sit. I turned around, and a rock was suspended
underneath me. Odd, but I didn’t ask questions, a huge feat to be sure. Instead I sat on the cool brown
rock and waited as he took a seat next to me.

“A hierarchy like none other exists in the Heavenlies.” His head hung. “There are the archangels,
which I’m sure you know well, Thena. I hope Seth at least told you the part about the Fall. Many of
our kind have chosen to forget such a painful time. I imagine it’s equally as painful for you to
remember.”

I nodded.

“So,” he continued. “Twelve of us fell. We were different than the archangels, set apart from Eden.
Some angels sat around the Throne. Others were messengers and others warriors. We, we were the
Watchers. Set apart to make sure the humans stayed safe, that no harm would come to them. Sadly, the

very ones sent to protect were the ones who caused the most harm. Have you any idea the difficulty of
such a choice, Thena? To become slaves to our desires and to creatures of our own making? I take
full responsibility because I helped teach the humans.”

“Astrology, right?” I said, scooting farther down on my rock, pretending it was a couch and this was a
fairy tale, not a life and death situation.

“Exactly,” he beamed. “What I taught wasn’t necessarily evil, it just made the humans all the more
curious about things they should never have known about in the first place. My brothers followed my
lead, teaching the art of metal-working, the art of war, and worst of all, the art of cosmetics.” He
scowled. “It was hard enough being forced to watch over mankind day in and day out, but once the
women began painting their faces, learning the dances of the Heavenlies — we were entranced. It is a
weak excuse, but a reason nonetheless.”

“What’s your story, Atlas?” I said, not recognizing the curiosity in my voice.

“My story…” he mumbled, shifting in his seat. “It’s sad, Thena, and don’t think I’m ignorant of why
we are having this little meeting. My power is endurance and reading the stars. I am not easily
swayed, nor do I give in to pressure, regardless of how beautiful the messenger may be.” He reached
out and grasped at a piece of hair that had fallen loose from my ponytail. “I’ve always admired the
Seekers. They have both the beauty of the angelic race and the fascinating characteristics of the
humans.”

I felt uncomfortable at his pensive stare, as if he could see right through my clothes. I crossed my
arms, offended that he was staring at me in such a way.

“Calm down, little one. I mean you no harm. Isn’t that what got me in trouble in the first place? No, I
have learned my lesson, and now I’m cursed. Tell me, Thena, why would I fight for the side that so
heartlessly threw my brothers into the Abyss as punishment?”

“You tell me. After all, you were willing to meet. It does make one wonder if your desire is to be
whole again — to rejoin your brothers, to go home.”

The look on his face darkened. I knew I had him there, but I needed more information about the reason
behind his betrayal. It needed to make sense to me. Why would someone who was given everything,
knowingly abandon all he held true for one human?

“You are young, Thena,” Atlas said. “Don’t you understand love at all?”

I didn’t want to answer. He grabbed my hand. I liked his touch enough to allow him to hold it. He said
something in his angelic tongue that sounded a lot like beautiful sin.

“Pardon?” I asked.

“Love can masquerade as a great many things, Athena. It can possess you, show you power, promise
you things you never knew you even wanted. I became entranced by the outward beauty of the women
I saw. I fell, and once I fell, I turned into something I didn’t recognize. I needed more and more of the

intimacy that the women gave me. I didn’t stay true to my partner. I didn’t stay true to myself. Sin has
a way of pretending to be something good. That is how the Darkness works.”

“Yet you’re willing to sin, to fight on the side that promotes sin, for what? For revenge?”

He dropped my hand and answered, “Acceptance. I see in your eyes you don’t understand, my dear,
but those who fell will never be accepted by the Heavenlies, regardless of the side we fight on. If we
fight for your father, we’ll be rewarded with freedom. If we fight with you… the only ending is
eternity in the Abyss.”

“So you’ll make the wrong choice all over again to hide from the punishment you deserve?” I asked
sadly.

He drew his sword and stared at it. Like a flash of lightning, he pulled it across his hand. Silver and
red liquid oozed out. “Do you see my blood? The divine ichor of the angels flows through my veins. I
am connected to my brothers, whether I like it or not. In the Abyss they see… everything.” His eyes
flashed white before returning to blue again. “My brothers see what they betrayed every day of their
existence. That was our punishment. Can you not understand? I carry the weight of the world on my
shoulders, Athena. My burden to bear is that I will always know the happiness, the joy, and the pain
of my brothers, whom I’ve been separated from, but I will never rejoin them. Being free, regardless
of which side I fight on, is my only aim. No being is strong enough to witness what I’ve witnessed or
carry my burden. I would do anything to be free.”

I wondered silently why he was free when his brothers were not. There was something strange about
Atlas. He was beautiful, like an angel, but part of his mannerisms shocked me, made me wonder if he
was hiding something. If he was truly a Titan, he wouldn’t be able to roam the world or use power as
he did.

He put his sword back in his belt. I was stunned into silence. I wanted to help, to show him El was
just, that things would be okay, but even I wasn’t blessed with knowledge of the future.

Everyone depended on me, on my wisdom. So I pushed further. “Atlas, if your brothers — the other
Watchers — if they wanted to fight for our side, would you join them or abandon them?”

“I would have no choice but to join.”

My heart nearly broke at the sadness in his eyes.

“Will you give me a chance to speak with a few of the others before you make your decision?”

The rock moved beneath me. Atlas pulled me to a standing position and looked me in the eyes. “Are
you good, Athena, or do you mean me harm? I want to trust you, but something tells me not to.”

“I’m a Seeker, Atlas. You can trust me.”

“And you truly believe that in the end we will be justified?”

I swallowed and gave a firm nod of my head.

“Then you may speak with them. But a warning, Innocent One. I see much danger if you choose to
travel this road. I may be free, but I am still a prisoner here on Earth. He has made it so, but my
brothers, they are slowly awakening, waiting for the right moment to strike. I do not want you walking
into a trap, but there will be no other way for you to speak to them. Do you understand?

“Thank you,” I said. “I understand.”

Atlas pulled out a piece of paper. “The location of the rest of the Titans you may speak with. Careful,
Thena, this isn’t a fieldtrip, nor is it one of your adventures. Remember, trust no one. Even the Light
can bring in Darkness.”

I closed my hand around the golden paper.

And everything went black again.

“Thena!” The scream was so loud my head pounded in response.

Could nothing in my life be normal?

“Thena.” It was Adonis’s voice. I would know it anywhere, just like I would know my reflection in
the mirror.

Why was he so frantic? So worried?

“Yes?” My voice was groggy. I needed caffeine more than air.

“Don’t you ever do that again, do you hear me, Athena? Never again.”

I felt something stroke my face. It was warm and so nice. I opened my eyes. Adonis was holding me
in his lap, looking a lot like a worried mother hen. I grimaced as I tried to move.

“I’m back.” I weakly threw a triumphant fist into the air, noting the giant scowl on Adonis’s face.
“Right then, so how did I disappear?”

Seth appeared on Adonis’s right. “Yeah, about that…” He stole a glance at a fuming Adonis. “We
didn’t know Atlas was going to take you. It’s my fault. I—”

“Of course this is your fault!” Adonis roared, a few curses escaping his lips. “How are we supposed
to protect her if we aren’t with her!”

Never in all my years had I ever heard Adonis swear. The man felt guilty when he had to watch me
kill anything and was enraged when anyone used foul language. Most of all, it was against a Seeker’s
character to be so crude.

“I’m fine,” I said, patting Adonis’s arm. “Really, it was a good meeting. He wouldn’t have hurt me.”

“He could have hurt you, Athena. I wasn’t there. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I—”

“Adonis, really, I wouldn’t lie, and it seems I’ve been successful with the Titan’s gatekeeper. Atlas is
going to allow me to see a few more of the Watchers to plead our case.”

Seth exhaled and shared a guilty look with Adonis. “That’s good news, Athena. What did he say?
Anything specific?”

Something told me to keep our conversation to myself. Seth’s face was too eager, and it wasn’t
something I felt safe telling him. If I was being truly honest with myself, I would admit I didn’t feel
safe telling much of anything to Seth, but I couldn’t for the life of me understand why. Obvious reason
being that he was a fallen angel, but there was something more.

I couldn’t help but think of Seth when Atlas talked about masquerading. Sometimes Seth seemed
perfectly normal, other times I felt… bad around him, and I didn’t know why. My emotions were
confused in his presence. I felt unsure of myself, and I was never unsure of myself. Maybe that was
why.

I shrugged in his direction. “It’s not important. What’s important is that I’m going to go visit the
others. You guys coming?”

“You know where they are?” Seth’s eyes took on a fiery tint. I could have sworn I saw something
predatory flash across his face.

I turned away, not wanting to reveal my emotions and doubts. “No, but I have Atlas.”

“He’s here?” Adonis roared, looking around the room in a frenzy. I’d never seen the man so blatantly
violent or upset. A muscle twitched in his jaw as he clenched his teeth. His eyes darted around the
room.

“Easy, killer,” I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. “He’s not here, but I do have a map.”

“An atlas?”

“Sort of.” I winked.

Seth approached me. “Let’s see this map of yours.”

I snapped my hand away from his grasp. “I’d rather keep it in my possession, if you don’t mind. Now,
who’s ready for an adventure? My clock says we only have three days to find the rest of the Watchers
before the rendezvous in the park.”

“At least let us see the map, Thena.” Adonis crossed his arms over his broad chest. “We need to
know what we’re up against.”

“Bring warm clothes.” I smiled cheekily and waited to gauge Seth’s reaction. Nonplussed, he merely
shrugged and walked off to his room, muttering about insipid females and their inability to trust men

with directions. Maybe he was harmless after all.

“So…” I gulped and folded the map into my back pocket. “Adonis, earlier when we were, er…” Yes.
Brilliant, Athena. You’d think a girl gifted with wisdom would know how to talk to a man.

But Adonis was a god among men, chiseled and perfect. All cockiness aside, he was absolutely
breathtaking. I wanted to hate him, but the only negative feelings I could muster up were that of guilt
for his apparent worry over my disappearance.

Abruptly, he reached out and pulled me into his body. Without words, he leaned down and brushed a
light kiss across my forehead. “If you ever leave me again, I will hunt you down and kill you myself,
do you understand?”

I squirmed in his hold, trying to get more comfortable in his giant arms. “When did you become so
violent?”

I felt him sigh. “I’ve always been violent, always protective. I’m just very controlled.” Something
white flashed in his eyes, before they went back to normal.

I laughed and regretted it as he stiffened. I looked up to meet his gaze and realized he was anything
but amused at my apparent mockery of his control. When had Adonis ever showed control in anything,
especially considering his enticement of others?

“You really don’t know?” His eyes seemed sad.

I bit my lip and struggled for an awkward laugh. “Know that you’re the best thing that’s ever
happened to me? Know that you’re ticked off at my disappearance?” I patted him on the chest “Yup, I
know. So stop worrying.”

He rolled his eyes and released me, muttering another uncharacteristic curse under his breath.

“So what are we all waiting for?” Seth plopped three duffel bags onto the nearby couch, jolting
Adonis out of whatever freakishly foul disposition he was in.

“Right then.” Adonis grabbed all three bags and made a beeline for the door. “Coming, Thena, or are
you still traumatized from your little adventure?” He smirked devilishly and lifted a quizzical brow.

Ridiculously good-looking men should not exist. El should have snuffed them out long ago.

“Fine.” Teeth clenched, I grabbed the white leather jacket that Seth held up, looking bored out of his
mind. All I wanted was a bit of normalcy from these two, and what I got was two anger and hormone-
ridden half-breeds.

“Ah, adventure,” Seth boasted, clapping his hands as he followed Adonis and me into the hallway.

Chapter Twelve

I pushed past the guys, stuck in my thoughts. I didn’t want to walk with Adonis, considering his recent
cursing and cryptic talk, and there was no way I was going to walk with Seth. Ever since my return
from the sky, as I was going to refer to it, Seth had been acting strange. One minute he wanted to know
all about my little talk with Atlas; the next he was brooding and temperamental.

Case in point, as we walked down the obnoxiously long hallway to the outside entrance of his
apartment building, he couldn’t stop scowling at me or asking me pestering questions about the map.

It was enough send me over the edge that Adonis had so pleasantly brought me to after our
conversation. Naturally, I snapped at Seth to leave me alone. Adonis gave him a manly shrug as if to
say, Yes, she is moody at least eighty percent of the time. Deal with it.

So then I led the way with both men behind me, which technically was where they belonged,
considering I had the map, and they had nothing but duffel bags and bad attitudes.

I hated to admit that in my current state, it was probably safer for everyone if the handsome men of my
misfortune let me walk ahead. I zeroed in on the hard metal door a few feet away and finally
unclenched my fists.

“That’s it,” Seth said from behind me.

Idiot. Of course, that’s it. There is no other door. I rolled my eyes and was thankful that he couldn’t
see the scowl on my face. With a grunt, I kicked it open, nearly sending the six-inch-thick piece of
metal off its hinges.

“Was that really necessary, Thena?” Adonis murmured by my shoulder. The crisp, sweet scent of him
washed over my senses for the third time that night.

“Yes,” I said through clenched teeth. “It was necessary.”

I stepped into the old tunnel and shook my head. The thought that we were actually near the
underground bus station of Seattle never once crossed my mind. Nordstrom’s stood to my upper left
and Westlake Center was behind me. Really, I had to commend Seth for his genius. Not only was his
apartment at the perfect location, but it had access to every underground route in the city, not to
mention bus access to the airport.

“This way,” I said, walking toward the blue line.

“I’m sure we could have figured that out, Thena,” Adonis muttered under his breath.

I whipped around. “Are you going to be giving a running commentary the whole trip? Because it’s not
going to be some short flight to Vegas, like Seth here is hoping.”

We both looked at Seth and his dejected face. Did he really think a Titan would hide only in large
cities full of sin?

The look on his face told me he did.

“So, where are we going?” Seth pulled out three bus passes and winked. Stupid man and his planning
for worse case scenarios.

I smiled, giving adequate time for a long dramatic pause before answering. “Alaska.”

“Alaska!” both of them yelled at the same time. One was outraged, the other invigorated. You can
guess which was which.

“Mt. McKinley.” I swiped my pass and boarded. “The Denali, to be exact.”

Seth cursed, which I expected; he is Fallen after all. “The high one?”

“That exact one.”

Adonis was silent next to me; it made my muscles tense. He seemed pleased to be going to Alaska. As
Seekers we’ve been all over the world. It got repetitive and boring, but I was almost positive Adonis
had never set foot in Alaska. I’d bet my life on the fact that he’s more thrilled than he’s willing to
admit.

“Fun.” Adonis looked out the window.

I didn’t miss the curve of a smile plastered on his perfect lips.

****

The airport was busy as usual, and I didn’t want to take any chances we would get noticed by any
Phantoms or Seekers. Our mission was top secret for a reason. But how do the three of us, relative
giants and gods in our own right, trounce through the airport without getting ridiculous stares from
both the female and male sex?

“Costumes,” I said, once we’d gotten off the bus.

“I’m sorry. Did you say costumes?” Adonis glared at me.

Too bad, I was used to his glares; it was his kisses that nearly killed me.

“Yes.” I cleared my throat. “Costumes.”

“For all of us?” Seth asked, looking disgustingly intrigued.

“No, just for you two.”

Adonis rolled his eyes. “Why?”

“Because I can pass as an international supermodel, whereas you guys just look like…”

“Perfect male specimens?” Adonis finished.

Seth grinned. “Gods among men?”

“The perfect man?” Adonis added.

“No, no, I’ve got it.” Seth cleared his throat. “The—”

“Stop.” I snapped. Several people glanced in our direction. I coughed and gave both of them my
meanest glare. “You’re posing as NBA basketball players, okay? Now put the warm-ups on and we’ll
be off!”

Adonis immediately began taking his shirt off.

I started sweating.

Seth unbuttoned his jeans.

“Stop! You can’t just undress in public!” Am I yelling?

“Chill, Thena.” Adonis winked. “Seth’s got it covered, don’t you, Seth?”

Seth grinned. “Sure do.”

“Do I need to ask what Seth does and does not have covered?” I pleaded.

“Nobody can see us, Thena. He used to be an angel so he does still have some use. He’s making a
small shield. It only lasts for a few minutes, so we need to hurry.”

“Right then, I’ll just…” I snapped my mouth shut out of embarrassment, as both men continued to strip
off their clothes and add new ones.

Great. I was officially back to the whole “God is punishing me” theory by the time both suited up in
the latest sport fashions. They dumped their clothes into the duffel bags and high-fived one another,
before falling into step beside me.

I desperately tried to ignore the stares from people. I couldn’t tell if it was me or Adonis, or Seth for
that matter. All I knew was the texting universe of Sea-Tac was going to blow up today, after seeing
the three of us together. Maybe it would have been safer to hire a private plane. Then again, it would
have taken too long. This was absolutely necessary for the time being.

We walked to the airline kiosk and purchased our tickets. The lady who checked our bags looked like
she was five minutes away from either screaming or passing out. It was bad enough she choked on her
gum and needed aid from Adonis before being able to proceed with our luggage. It didn’t help matters
that Adonis touched her arm.

She would probably spend the rest of her life trying not to wash the spot his fingers had grazed.

By the time we reached security, Seth was in full-fledged Seth-mode: signing autographs, talking
about his time playing overseas, and gaining phone numbers from adoring fans. Humans were so
stupid. They saw a hot guy in workout clothes who’s twice their height, and even though they’ve
never heard of him, they want to sign their lives over to him in blood.

Adonis appeared bored, but then again, that’s Adonis. Everything bored him. In fact, he probably
bored himself. As we made our way up the line the crowd seemed to get thicker and thicker.

A dark-haired man came up beside me in the other line. Something told me he was off. Not normal. I
nudged Adonis. He looked at the man then back at me and shook his head. The man looked at me,
straight into my eyes. A cynical smile formed on his lips. He gave me a wink that made me want to
take a shower and throw a knife at him all at the same time.

“Relax, Thena. It isn’t a Phantom, just some guy who thinks you’re hot.” Adonis began rubbing my
shoulders.

The man looked at Adonis and shook his head before concentrating on the line in front of him.

“It’s impossible that you don’t know how beautiful you are, Thena. Sometimes I wonder if you’re at
all aware of the effect you have on the male species.”

“Just the males of the human species,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Adonis’s hands paused on my neck; he lifted my hair, exposing the skin below my ear. He traced the
spot with his finger, outlining the side of my face, before leaning down and whispering, “All species,
every male, no matter his origin.”

He pulled away. The chill I felt reached all the way down to my toes. I reached up to touch my ear
and noticed that it was wet. I whipped around to face Adonis. “Did you just lick me?”

He hovered over me. “I did say all males, didn’t I?”

“Miss? Miss, you can step through now.” The security guard called at me, but I was too stunned to
move. To my utter embarrassment, Adonis grabbed me by the shoulders and turned me around, so I
could walk in the right direction.

“Thanks,” I mumbled under my breath, as lead-filled legs took me through security. That was the
reason I didn’t let Adonis walk ahead of me. In all the time I’ve known him, he has never acted so…
well, I didn’t really want to say it, nor did my brain allow me to accept the possibility that he could
potentially be attracted to me.

I whipped around with a frown firmly in place, as Seth and Adonis breezed through the security. Seth
kissed a girl on the cheek, and I swear, if we didn’t get moving, I was going to pull a knife on him.

“What?” he said, grabbing the duffel bag. I fought the urge to curse as I led the way down to our gate.

By the time we passed the fourth coffee stand, I gave up. Pausing only to signal that I was stopping. I
motioned for the guys to wait for me as I stood in line. What I really needed was a good three hours in
the practice ring with Seth as my target. I didn’t know why, but his behavior was irritating me, as
well as Adonis’s little jaunt with insanity.

Must be the water or something else that had both of these men acting like idiots. The barista asked
for my order. Blanking out for the second time that day, I smiled and desperately tried to remember
what to order. It wasn’t normal for me to get coffee. I’m more of a chocolate milkshake type of a girl,
but I needed something to keep my mind occupied. Drinking something seemed the best way to get rid
of my aggravation, plus, caffeine tended to have a calming effect on my nerves.

“She’ll have a black coffee,” Adonis’s smooth voice tickled the hairs on the back of my neck. The
barista’s mouth dropped open. But she didn’t make a sound. Instead, hands shaking, she lifted a cup
and filled it with coffee.

Irritated, I elbowed him in the stomach. “Did you have to entice her?”

“I did nothing of the sort,” he murmured, taking the coffee from the besotted girl and giving her a hefty
tip. “Here’s your coffee. Can we go now?”

Right, because I was the one acting odd and annoying. “Sure.”

Seth was waiting by the straws, judging, or appearing to judge, every single person who walked by
and added cream into their coffee. Not wanting to be the object of his pensive glares or judgments, I
said, “I’ll pass on the cream.”

“We don’t gain weight,” Seth said, shaking his head at the lady lifting the large container of half and
half.

“Whatever,” I mumbled and pushed past them, but not before Seth quickly dumped the half and half
into the trash and followed.

“What?” He lifted his hands as if offended. “I’m doing society a favor.”

“How’s that?”

“Easy.” He smirked. “I’m saving them from obesity.”

“Right,” I mumbled and turned away so he wouldn’t see me lift my eyes heavenward in response to
his egotism.

I scanned the gate numbers and exhaled with triumph when we reached our destination. Few people

were scattered about, which wasn’t at all surprising considering our destination was Fairbanks,
Alaska. Who willingly travels to Alaska? Granted, I’ve heard it’s beautiful, but it’s not exactly the
Caribbean.

I motioned for the guys to follow me to the back corner of the waiting area, where we could sit and go
over our plans without people overhearing us and openly gaping like the eighty-year-old woman to
my left was doing. If she didn’t watch it, her fake teeth were going to fall on the ground, embarrassing
everyone in her vicinity.

I gave her a tight smile and pushed Adonis to go faster, though I could tell by the tension in his back
he was trying desperately not to laugh as the elderly ladies’ companions also turned to look.

They must be going on some sort of Alaskan cruise together. It’s the best I can think of for why so
many elderly women would be traveling all at once.

“Sit,” I commanded both guys.

Seth immediately followed my direction and sat directly on the floor. Idiot. Adonis winked and sat on
the chair, all the while patting his knee for me to take a seat.

“I’m not sitting on you.”

“You probably should, for the effect. People are going to wonder why a hot supermodel is traveling
with NBA basketball players.”

“So now I have to be somebody’s girlfriend?”

Seth piped up, “Well, I would offer, but I know you’re probably five minutes away from pulling a
knife on me, judging by your grip on your bag and your overall stern expression. I think it’s safer for
everyone if I stay on the floor. That way I don’t end up on it later.”

“Point taken.” I turned to Adonis. His dimples molded right into his perfect cheekbones. White teeth
and beautiful eyes stared back at me. “Oh, all right.”

I sat as close as possible to him without landing on his lap and pulled out the map. Seth closed his
eyes, and Adonis leaned in as close as he could get to my face without kissing me.

“So, how long of a journey once we land?”

“Uh…” I shook my head. “We…” My thoughts were not coming together, neither was my ability to
string sentences. His hand moved until it was basically resting where it’d never rested before.

“What are you doing?” I snapped, trying to keep my voice at a mere whisper. I realized that me
whispering anything was a huge stretch of the imagination for anyone.

Adonis grinned, holding my eyes in his gaze. “There are things, things we need to talk about, that you
need to know, Thena. I’m just waiting for the right time to tell you about them. But sometimes I

wonder,” his hand moved up to caress my face, “if you’ll ever be ready.”

“And as fun and not awkward as these types of conversations are for third party representatives, we
need to get a game plan into action,” Seth piped in, annoying the snot out of me.

“The map,” I said.

Seth cursed. “Adonis, could you wait before you two have your little talk, please? She’s hardly able
to concentrate on anything longer than five minutes, as it is. And you’re not helping with all your…
touching.” He pointed at Adonis’s hands and shook his head in distaste.

I gulped. “The map.”

Seth rolled his eyes again.

Pulling it out, I laid it on the seat next to me. “It says here that we have to take the flight into Fairbanks
and then either take a bus or drive the one-hundred-forty mile singular road to enter the park.

Seth snorted. “Or we could fly.”

“We are flying.”

He laughed. “Not what I meant. You just get us to Fairbanks, and let me take care of the rest, okay?”

I looked at Adonis, but he seemed just as intrigued as I felt. “Okay, deal.”

We sat and waited for another hour. The time seemed to tick by agonizingly slow, but it could have
been because I was dying to know what Adonis had to talk with me about. And it wasn’t helping that
people kept staring at us as if we were aliens from outer space.

Close, people, your assumptions are close.

“We will now begin boarding first class and families with children, or people who need assistance.”

Seth laughed. “Ten bucks says if I approach the flight attendant and tell her I need assistance, she’ll
oblige me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Ten bucks that I’ll smack you if you even try.”

Adonis looked between the two of us. “I would take my chances. That flight attendant does look like
she could use a compliment today.”

We all looked in her direction. Whatever had happened to airlines? They used to outfit their
employees in designer clothes. Now they looked homeless!

“I retract my earlier threat. Have at it, Seth.” I patted him on the back and prodded him on.

Not surprisingly, he approached her, stuffed his hands in his pockets and managed to look quite
humble.

“However did he manage that emotion?”

“Humility?” Adonis guessed.

“Yup, that exact one.”

“Must be some sort of heavenly power. God knows, I don’t possess it.” He winked and nudged me.

I couldn’t help but smile back. Oh, how true it is.

“Hey, you guys coming?” Seth motioned for us to join him. Apparently his compliment had paid off,
considering we were boarding ahead of everyone.

I groaned. “Do I even want to know what he said to her?”

Adonis smiled, blinding me for a second, before responding, “Probably something she needed to
hear. Let’s go.”

We shuffled onto the cramped little plane and took our seats. Only one aisle was present, making me
regret the fact we actually had to travel via public transportation.

Our duffel bags fit nicely into the compartments and I sat, knowing the next few hours were going to
be filled with torture.

Riding with hundreds of other humans in cramped quarters, when my senses were heightened? Ugh. It
had to be worse for Adonis, considering he could smell pheromones on people. His poor nose.

I gave him a little pat as he took his seat next to me. His eyes immediately started watering.

He rubbed his eyes and groaned. “Just how many women are we flying with? It’s like an estrogen
factory in here!”

I kept the laugh inside as I looked around the cabin. Yes, slightly more females than males, most of
them over the age of fifty, and wearing their fair share of perfume.

“Can’t you just hold your breath?” I whispered, buckling my seatbelt.

“I could, but do you really want me to use all my strength holding my breath, when we may need it
later?”

“Good point.” I grabbed a magazine and handed it to him. “Need a distraction?”

He didn’t even look at the magazine; instead he pushed it away with his hand. It dropped to the floor
and suddenly he looked at me as if I was… well, as if I was just as beautiful as Aphrodite.

“A distraction, you say?” he mumbled as his finger caressed my jaw. “Why yes, I could go for one of
those.”

Not exactly what I had in mind, but who am I to leave my partner with tears in his eyes. I leaned
forward, thinking a kiss was exactly what he had in mind. As my breath hitched, I noticed him pull
back.

Laughing awkwardly, he grabbed my hand. “So about that talk?”

Oh talking, not kissing. Right.

Adonis opened his perfect mouth to speak, just as Seth plopped down across the aisle from us.

“I totally forgot how good it felt to kiss a human. They taste so…” He reached into the air, grabbing at
the word. “…Luscious, like warm blood mixed with honey and spice. I swear I almost lost my mind.”

“You kissed her!” I scolded.

“Maybe.” He looked down at his hand. “But she was having a really hard day. So what if I kissed
her? It wasn’t as if I used any sort of power on her. I just merely kissed the daylights out of her,
ruining her for all men.”

“You have no shame!”

“No.” He laughed. “Apparently not, but I will say one thing. My kiss also got us information.”

Adonis jerked his head in Seth’s direction. “You hypnotized her?”

“Hardly.” Seth buckled his seat belt. “I merely had a little taste.”

“You did what!”

Adonis slapped his hand over my mouth. My chest felt heavy with righteous anger. “You can’t go
around… drinking!”

He glared. “Not something I make a habit of. Come on, it’s not like I’m a vampire or anything. You
know as well as I do how much information blood contains. Don’t hate me for enjoying it.” He
popped his knuckles. “Anyway, it seems that the plane was having some sort of mechanical problems,
and she was worried that it would crash. They replaced the part, and at the last minute, the entire
flight crew, which seemed odd. Then I saw the pilot.”

Why did my stomach feel like it was going to heave up all its contents?

“And?”

“It appears that the captain of this lovely plane is none other than your Titan friend. Atlas.”

“But, how — why would he do that?”

A large man stepped into the aisle and leaned over our seats. “To protect you.”

“Atlas,” I breathed. Beautiful, tall, commanding Atlas.

He looked Adonis up and down then smirked at me. “Never fear, my dear. I’ll make sure you make it
to your first destination. I shouldn’t even be here, but a mutual friend thought it would be worth my
while to see you in action. I’m just as surprised as you are.”

“A mutual friend?” I repeated. “Who?”

He ignored me, instead he looked at Adonis and nodded then walked off.

Adonis’s mouth dropped open. “Michael. I don’t know how or why, Thena, but… I would bet my life
on it. Atlas has been talking to Michael.”

“But…”

Adonis squeezed my shoulders. “Do you know what this means?”

He didn’t wait for me to answer.

“It means that Atlas trusts you. For him to even try to speak to another Heavenly is… unheard of. It’s
incredible. Good work, partner. I don’t know what you said to him when you disappeared and nearly
took my heart with you, but good work.”

I didn’t really have any time to bask in the goodness of what his smile did to me. The plane began to
taxi, and the flight attendant started to explain the various exits, in the event that the plane crashed,
which, she repeated over and over again, is highly unlikely.

It’s not as if anyone would survive a plane crash into the Alaska Mountains. I mean, if the crash didn’t
kill them, the cold sure would, and if by some miracle of God they did escape, they’d most likely be
eaten by wolves.

“Lovely way to die,” Seth commented.

“Excuse me?”

“Plane crash… fear is literally rolling off these old ladies in waves.” He closed his eyes in ecstasy.
They fluttered open and went black as he took a deep breath. Unable to tear my eyes away, I watched
as the air moved past Seth’s lips and into his body, until he burped, apologized, and hit his chest with
a fist.

“All in a day’s work.” He crossed his legs and opened the flight magazine.

“Did he… ” I looked to Adonis, who smirked in Seth’s direction.

“He thought it would be nice if the old ladies were free of potential strokes and heart attacks. He ate
the fear.”

“Ate the—”

“Fear,” Seth finished, looking in my direction with a wink. “Tastes awful, by the way. Like burnt
flesh and hot chili peppers with a side of rot.”

“Tasty,” I said.

Seth leaned in. “We have enough fear fighting against us. It’s better not to allow any extra to seep into
our already-sketchy plans.”

“And by eating it you… destroy it?” I asked.

“Somewhat.” He flipped open the magazine again. “Until it comes back.”

I closed my eyes to keep from scratching his out. “Please tell me it doesn’t get worse once it comes
back.”

“No, course not.” Seth shook his head.

Adonis nodded his head in agreement and patted my hand.

It became quiet, and then Seth interjected, “We’ll just have to kill the little demon. No biggie.”

“Great, now I have to waste time killing a stupid little demon while the Titans wait in the giant
mountain…”

Adonis gripped my hand. “Stop worrying. Get some sleep, Thena. It’s going to be a long day. At least
we know we are safe in Atlas’s oh so capable hands.”

“Kay.” I gave Seth one last look of disdain before closing my eyes and leaning onto Adonis’s
shoulder. The last thing I remembered was his warm hand embracing mine.

Chapter Thirteen

The jolt of turbulence made my eyes flutter open. How long had I slept? My head was resting quite
comfortably against Adonis’s chest. I glanced across the aisle and noticed Seth’s long legs dangling
over the seat as his head rested against the window.

“Are we almost there?” I croaked, stretching my arms over my head.

Adonis gave a little yawn. “It seems like we’ve been in the air for hours. I’m surprised the little old
ladies haven’t been using the bathroom every five seconds. They haven’t even moved since we
started our flight.”

Hmm… Lost in thought, I looked behind us and immediately wished I hadn’t. The old ladies, the cute
little old ladies… Were all dead.

“Adonis…” I hit his arm “What’s going on?”

Quickly, he turned around, and immediately I felt his hand tighten across mine. My eyes scoured the
area for weapons. I hadn’t been able to bring my daggers, did manage to hide one of them in my boots
without security catching it. I’d begged Seth to make it so that we could carry our weapons, but he
said he needed to save his strength.

I closed my eyes, imagining the type of creature that would be heartless enough to take out that many
old women and other people on the plane. My eyes burned as I pummeled my memory for faces of the
people who boarded with us.

“It doesn’t make sense,” I whispered. Adonis unbuckled his seatbelt and slowly tried to nudge Seth
awake. Whatever creature was on board with us, the last thing we wanted to do was to let it know we
knew it was there.

My brain mentally calculated the odds of us finding the dark creature while still staying in the sky and
not putting holes in the plane. The odds were not in our favor.

Blood rushed through my veins, and adrenaline seemed to wash over me in waves. I was created for
this. I can do this. I felt my eyes begin to glow their purplish hue and allowed myself to be consumed
with the feeling of heavenly power coursing through me.

With a grunt, I pushed myself from the seat and began walking toward the back of the plane, my
stomach dropped as I saw the corpses of the old ladies. It was such a waste, such a pity. They hadn’t
done anything wrong. If anything, it was our fault to begin with.

The stench of flowers and honey invaded my nostrils. I wanted to curse. It wasn’t a Phantom, that’s
for sure. The smell was over-powering, like I’d just walked headfirst into the perfume department
and couldn’t find my way out. I kept moving and wanted to gag as the taste of the flowery substance
invaded my mouth.

A few rows from the back of the plane and still nothing; my instincts told me it was close as the hairs
on my arms raised.

I lifted my dagger in air and flipped my body around coming face to face with my foe and curse.

Her perfectly shaped brows lifted. “Now, now, that isn’t at all proper for a heavenly being.” She
wiped blood from her lips and smiled, revealing tiny fangs on either side of her perfectly white teeth.

I noticed Seth making his way toward us with Adonis not far behind, and I wanted to tell them to back
off. I could take care of this witch on my own.

“Empusa, is it?” I gave her a glare.

With a giggle, she plopped onto one of the seats, pushing the old grandma out of it. Her long black
nails scratched her head of black hair.

She looked like a Goth movie gone horribly wrong.

Seth finally made it to the party and cursed. Hmm… my exact same reaction. Though I guessed his
curse had more to do with the fact Empusa was basically a female version of him. A fallen creature
that had resorted to seducing men to feed on, and wonder of all wonders, she also guards the road to
Denali with a vengeance. Meaning, in this case, she ate innocent passengers. Not that old ladies were
a threat to any sort of Titan. We, however…

How had I missed that the blood had been drained from all the old ladies? I guess it didn’t help that
they were already pale and smelled funny.

“So, what now?” Seth sat dramatically across the seat. “You wanna kill her, Thena, or should I do the
honor?”

“Decisions, decisions,” I muttered, fingering the dagger with excitement. It’d been too long since I’d
killed, and my body was itching to do physical harm to the witch in front of me.

Empusa giggled again. “Kill the messenger? Now that isn’t exactly playing fair, is it?”

“Messenger my—“

“Enough, Seth,” I interrupted what would have probably been a string of unholy curses from his
otherwise dirty mouth and smiled at the girl in question. Her blue eyes shone back at me. Tilting her
head in a predatory stance, she licked her lips, as if in anticipation of a snack.

“I’ll do the honors.” I made a lunge toward her. Everything always happened in slow motion for me. I

heard the blood-curdling screech come from her lips. My eyes focused on the blood as it pounded
through her black veins. It was like her body came alive, until as she drew a final breath I ran my
dagger along her throat fully ending her existence.

Her body was motionless and defenseless, but her eyes continued to scour our faces, waiting for one
of us to finish her off. The only way to kill a being like her was to dismember her sad excuse for a
body.

I’d always let Headquarters do the dirty work before, but lucky for me, Seth was more than willing
this time. I think he actually enjoyed it more than what was considered normal. As he smiled and
ripped her body to shreds, I dusted off my hands and waited for Adonis to say something. He’d been
watching the whole exchange with a peculiar look on his face.

“What?” I said, wiping my knife on my pants.

“Nothing, it’s just…” He raised his fingers to his head, pushing back beautiful locks of hair. “I don’t
see why Empusa would be sent on the plane with us. It’s not as if we’re an easy target. I mean, we do
have Atlas with us.”

The plane started to plunge. My heart nearly stopped.

“Well, crap.” I gave Adonis a panicked look as we ran to the front of the plane.

The pilot’s seat was empty. Atlas had disappeared on us, what was he thinking? Let us crash into…

“Wait…” I ran back and grabbed the map to look at the coordinates. “He overshot the plane. We’re
not landing in Fairbanks.”

“So where we landing?” Seth walked up and stretched as if it had been an afternoon stroll. How was
he acting so calm after the old lady killing spree and plummeting plane?

I gulped. “We’re, uh, heading straight for the mountain.”

Seth grinned. “Awesome.”

I wanted to punch him. “Please tell me how this is awesome?”

“The way I see it, Atlas got us as close as he could without actually having to betray the rest of his
brothers. Look.”

We all looked out the window. Noting again how high we were made me hesitate a bit. A few clouds
parted and Mt. McKinley in all its glory appeared. To my utter horror, I realized our only escape was
to jump.

“Well…” Great. It seemed the only intelligent thing I could say was well before our jump into the
highest mountain range in the United States. Fantastic.

I pulled at the duffel bag, frantically trying to jerk out my parachute and was mentally doing all the
calculations of death versus survival at this type of jump.

“So, I just pull this cord, right?” I asked for the millionth time. I’m sure Seth was ready to jump out of
pure annoyance.

Adonis was busy making sure there wasn’t any evidence left behind from our battle with Empusa.
Naturally it won’t look too bad, considering the crash should disintegrate any sort of evidence. Still.
To us the loss of innocent human lives was sad. Good guy that he was, Adonis did a final walk of the
plane, praying blessing over the remaining bodies.

I know I was being selfish, but I couldn’t help but think about what we were about to do, not what
we’d already done.

Seth pulled at my parachute and tightened the pack. “Okay, Thena, look at me.”

I obliged him.

“Pull this cord.” He held out the small string “And don’t worry. It’s not like you would die anyway.
Trust me, it would take a lot more than a silly jump to kill you.”

Numbly, I nodded my head. Seth leaned over and kissed my cheek. “You’ll be fine, Thena.”

“Ahem.” Adonis cleared his throat. “Stop screwing around, guys. We gotta jump, now or never.” He
fastened his pack haphazardly, making me even more nervous. He could at least make sure it is tight
and not going to fall off halfway through the jump.

I watched in fascination as Adonis kicked away the plane door. Muscles ripped through his arms as
he braced the opening of the door against the outside air. I looked out, and all I could see were
clouds, which was way worse than seeing land. At least then I’d know there was an end to my fall.
Right then, Heaven was looking pretty good.

I sent up a quick prayer and prepared my body for the fall.

“Ready?” Adonis yelled above the noise.

Seth and I nodded.

“One,” Adonis screamed, and the plane moaned and cracked. “Two.”

The adrenaline in my system was pumping so hard it was difficult to see straight.

“Three!”

I closed my eyes and jumped, noticing both men were close by in the air.

Hmm, this isn’t so bad, it’s not even…

“Aghhhh!” The initial shock wore off, and my stomach clenched. Maybe it was because my body kept
expecting the fall to stop sometime this century? Instead it continued. I looked to my left, and both
guys motioned for me to pull the cord on my chute.

I nodded my head and pulled it.

Nothing happened. I pulled it again, harder this time. Still nothing. I started to panic and then told
myself to snap out of it. I was supposed to be wise. Quickly, my mind took in my surroundings. I was
headed straight for the ground. If I didn’t do something fast, then I was going to break bones and put
the mission in jeopardy because I’d need to heal and don’t heal as fast as purebloods.

I felt around for my second chute. Thankfully it pulled out… and then detached from my pack.

Fabulous.

It did, however give me a minor slow down. I refused to give into fear as air whooshed by my ears.

Think, Thena, think…

It was too late. My brain told me as the mountain came into full view that I was heading straight for it.
I closed my eyes, so I could disconnect from the inevitable pain, and waited for the impact.

About the time I imagined my body should be hitting cold, hard mountain, something lifted me up, and
again I was Heaven-bound. I opened one eye then the other. I was on some sort of winged
contraption. The contraption was attached to a man. Wings with no feathers were attached to the
device, and they looked waxy and shiny. He flashed me a smile and set me down on the mountain then
removed the contraption.

“Icarus, at your service, Athena. Atlas said you might need some help. Tell me, was your plan to see
how many bones you could break on the side of the mountain?”

“Yeah, well… I thought it would be fun.” I gave a half-hearted laugh, still shaking from the whole
escapade. Icarus pointed up to the sky where Adonis and Seth were slowly descending.

“Seems to me your plan was faster…” Icarus flashed a wide grin. Have I mentioned how much I hate
being surrounded by male beauty? He was dressed in golden armor and bronzed like the sun. His
yellow hair ran down his back like a golden blanket. A silver crown wrapped around his head.

“It’s going to be a few minutes. Care to clue me in on why you and your partners are making this
particular visit? Or why you killed Empusa in the process?”

I groaned. “Sometimes I hate how connected everyone is.”

“Yes, well…” Icarus went to a nearby rock and pulled out a duffel bag. “It seems those of us who are
Fallen are still connected, whether we like it or not. We just can’t see any of the plans unfold the way
the Seekers do.” He pulled out a down coat and matching gloves. I snatched them greedily.

“So, are you here to convince them, then?” His voice got serious.

“I’m going to try.” I am, I just don’t know how it’s going to go.

“It won’t work, Athena. Trust me. I’ve known the Titans for a long time. I’ve fought for both sides and
suffered the consequences when they fell. Now, I’m a cursed guard for the mountain. They don’t take
kindly to strangers.”

My shoulders slumped. “I don’t really have any other option, Icarus.”

His eyes flashed. “But you do.” Suddenly he was in front of me, all seven feet of him and I
desperately wished Seth and Adonis would hurry up. Why was I always being attacked?

“Your father…”

“Stop.” I pushed him away. “I do not want to hear about my father, nor about his little uprising or his
plan to throw over the Heavenly armies. He’s pure evil, he broke too many rules, he caused Hell to
reign on earth, and for that I’ll never forgive him.”

“You think I’d defend him for what he did?” Icarus’s face twisted into rage. “I hate him for his
actions, but you have to realize something, Athena. If you win… what’s in it for you? Do you honestly
think anything will change? That you’ll actually see Paradise or be anything more than what you
already are? You’re a Seeker. You have the blood of angel and human coursing through your veins.”
He let out a curse and kicked some snow. “At the end of the day, Thena, you’re still an abomination,
and you always will be.”

My stomach dropped. He was right. Of course he was right. The pain in his eyes spoke volumes, for
all of us had experienced the loss and pain of being orphaned, fitting neither in the heavenly world
nor the human one.

“We don’t belong anywhere,” he said, almost as if he could read my thoughts. “Just remember that
when you start picking sides, Thena. Remember the pain that comes with not belonging. The Titans
feel it still, only they remember what it was like to be in a brotherhood, whereas we’re just what’s
left over from their sins.”

A loud thud jolted me from his painful speech. Adonis threw off his pack and rushed to my side. “Are
you hurt? Anything broken? I could kill you right now for scaring me like that!”

“Yes,” I said sarcastically. “That was my plan. Scare Adonis and nearly kill myself in the process.
However did you know?”

Seth let out a cheerful laugh. “Icarus! Haven’t seen you in forever, man!” He gave him a high five and
a man-hug before grabbing at the extra down jacket Icarus held in his hand. “So, any news?”

Recognition passed across Icarus’s features before he shook his head. “Nothing exciting. Both sides
are still waiting to attack. Time’s running out though, if you really want the Titans to fight on your
side.”

“If they fight on our side, there won’t be a fight,” I interrupted.

“Right…” Icarus looked away. “Well, it looks like I’m going to be your tour guide. Try not to fall off
the mountain. We have a long hike ahead of us.”

“Hikes, plane rides, demons… yup. Sounds about right.” I slapped Adonis on the back. Instead of
laughing, he grabbed my hand and clenched it in his.

“Please try to be more careful, Thena, I’m too young to have heart failure.”

“Ugh, you’re over six thousand—”

He slapped his hand over my mouth, his eyes smoldering. Blood pumped through my veins at his
touch.

His lips quickly brushed where his hand had been, leaving mine wanting more. “Just be careful.”

Chapter Fourteen

We walked for three hours. Seth and Icarus talked like they were long lost lovers, and Adonis
literally grabbed me each time I tripped on a rock or the snow. I was ready to fight him just to keep
him from freaking out on me anymore, but then again last time we fought, I almost lost. Wow. That
was a hard pill to swallow.

The only good news during the long walk was that I didn’t have any more odd visions or singing…
which made me wonder all the more why it had been affecting me so much before and not as much
now? Though the haunting melody was familiar to me, I hadn’t heard the siren’s voice since Seattle.

“Thena?” Adonis grabbed my arm again, and that time I let him. I hadn’t realized how high we were
getting until then. Did everything have to do with going down and up? I clenched my teeth and leaned
on Adonis.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, knowing I sounded super distracted, but I couldn’t help it. Something felt off.
The general direction we were traveling was toward the top of the mountain, but the closer we got,
the harder it was for me to concentrate on any one thing. It didn’t help that as we got closer, it grew
hotter. Not that temperature really bothered me, but it was strange. Shouldn’t it get colder as you get
higher?

“You feel it too,” Adonis whispered.

At my nod he tensed. I looked around. Seth and Icarus were still ahead of us. Seth looked somewhat
out of sorts. His coloring was paler than usual. Dark shadows were visible beneath his eyes. As if he
knew I was staring at him he turned to look at me, and suddenly my steps froze.

Something hit me across the head, and within an instant Seth was breathing down my neck.

“Nobody can hear you scream.” His voice was hoarse as if he had just swallowed fire and couldn’t
quite form words. “I want to taste you. Now.”

His tongue moved across my lips, black flashed in his eyes, and he began to suck energy from me. I
tried to speak. Suddenly a flash of light appeared in front of us. A fiery sword appeared in Adonis’s
hand. The same sword I’d seen for years on the archangels.

“Be gone, demon!” Adonis yelled as he pushed Seth against a tree.

Icarus began to laugh as he grew another two feet. He pulled out a black sword made of steel. His
metal clashed against Adonis’s. Sparks flew between the swords. Seth screamed and was on his feet
again, running toward me. Why couldn’t I move? Why couldn’t I fight?

“Because you don’t want to,” Seth whispered behind my hair as his hand came to grip my neck.
“Because deep down you’re exactly like us.”

I tried to shake my head.

A tear ran down my cheek as I watched Adonis fall, and then his eyes met mine. “I’m sorry, Athena,
so sorry.”

He was going to die.

I was going to have to watch my best friend, the man that I loved, die in front of me.

Adonis closed his eyes, a burst of light came forth from his hands, and then he was glowing. His light
was so bright I had to fight to keep my eyes open. Seth and Icarus screamed. Adonis’s hair grew
down his back shining white like the angels’. His t-shirt disappeared, and in its place was a golden
plate of armor.

Just like that, a thousand angels surrounded us.

A beacon of light in the darkness.

“You will not touch her,” Adonis’s voice echoed.

Seth cursed and fell to his knees. Icarus began to hyperventilate.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling less than brave at the sight. It was rare to see that many angels in
one place at one time.

They sang, breathless with music. A few aided me, and I knew. They were ministering angels. Like
the ones in the Bible who brought people food and drink when they were in the desert. I opened my
mouth as the angel closest to me poured honey onto my lips, and suddenly I was able to speak again.

“Make your choice.” Adonis directed his command to Seth and Icarus. They glared in my direction
and nodded just once in unison.

The angels disappeared, and everything returned to normal.

Everything except the person I thought Adonis was.

I couldn’t help but feel my heart shatter into a million pieces. For the one man, or person I thought
was a man, would never share with me anything more than a brotherly friendship. It reminded me
once again that I didn’t belong. I was exactly as Icarus said. Just like them.

“So act like it.” The phrase flashed through my mind. I knew it was Seth’s voice. I knew it was
poison, but I couldn’t help but slightly agree.

“Don’t,” Adonis said, his voice shaking the trees nearest us. “Don’t believe the lie, Athena. You are

so much more than you know.” With that he went back to his normal form.

Only, nothing was normal.

We were traveling with enemies who had some sort of hold over me that I didn’t know how to fight.
And my best friend was apparently an angel.

Adonis pulled me to his side and scowled at Icarus and Seth. “Now, if you two little boys are done
playing swords, can we please return to our journey? You’re outmatched. I have an entire army at my
beck and call. I’ll destroy you before you can even think about fighting back. Lead us to the Titans,
and I may let you live.”

“And if we don’t?” Seth grinned. “After all, once we reach the Titans, it’s you who will be
outmatched.”

“Who says the Titans would follow a tiny ant when they could follow a god?”

I gasped aloud. For Adonis to compare himself to a god was absolutely heretical. It didn’t make
sense; he wasn’t anything like that. He was…

I looked at him, I mean, really looked at him. His eyes were shaped slightly different than before.
They were deep blue and almond shaped with gold glowing irises in the middle. I felt his arm brace
around mine. He was on fire. As in, his skin was so hot I almost felt it burn me, and temperatures
never affected me.

I shook my head in confusion. If he wasn’t an angel, what was he? And how was he able to command
the armies of Heaven?

He smiled sadly down at me, and then followed it with a wink.

Yup, same Adonis. “At least you haven’t lost your cockiness.”

“I’ll always be cocky. It’s part of my charm.”

I swallowed the emotion in my throat, “What are you?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Who are you?”

“Who I’ve always been.”

“Who’s your father?”

He looked away. “El. He is my father.”

I nearly choked. “God.”

Adonis’s face turned pensive. “He’s your father too.”

“No, no He’s not. I think we all know who my father is.” I tried to pull away, but Adonis wouldn’t let
me. We continued to climb in silence. The air getting thick with smoke as we neared the top.

Seth and Icarus didn’t make any more moves to hurt us, though they scowled a lot more than usual,
which seemed strange considering Seth had been happily flirting his way through our entire mission
thus far.

“I kind of hate him.”

“Heard that,” Seth called back.

Adonis shook his head and grinned. “He hates himself, and he would never actually hurt you. It’s just
child’s play. Think of our little scuffles as a warm up.”

“Heard that too,” Seth yelled ahead of us. I could see Icarus shaking his head as well, as if he wanted
to get in and say something back to Adonis but clearly didn’t know what to say to some sort of
heavenly being who could rock his world without lifting a pinky finger.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were…”

“Different?” Adonis finished for me. “Would it have mattered so much? Does it matter now?”

“You’re perfect.”

At that, Adonis threw his head back and laughed. “Um no, that would be a gross miscalculation on
your part. Don’t worry about what I am. Plus, aren’t we taught never to worry about anything? But to
trust in Him who gives us strength?”

I grabbed his hand and sighed. “Says a son of the Most High.” I shrugged. “It’s always easier to
believe in your flesh and blood.”

“Which is why it’s imperative that when your time comes, you believe in what you cannot see, not in
what you see in front of you, Athena.”

A loud screeching interrupted our conversation. The mountain bellowed again, and a large door that
looked a lot like something Atlas would have built, considering it was decorated with the images of
planets, emerged from the ground.

“Let me guess.” I put my hands on my hips. “We go down?”

“Hey, where’d you get this one? She’s really smart,” Icarus joked. I glared at him, totally not ready to
forgive him for his lapse in judgment.

“They can’t help it.” Adonis patted my back, urging me forward. “They are more bad than good.
They’ll always try to pull the Darkness, no matter how much they may like the messenger.”

“That’s actually true,” Seth chimed in, then grinned. “Sorry about the threatening, Athena. Can’t say it
won’t happen again. In fact, I can say with absolute certainty that I’m probably going to try to kill you
again in like ten minutes.”

I nodded. “Good to know. I’ll be sure to stab you right in the heart.”

“He doesn’t have one,” Icarus pointed out. “But I guarantee, if he did, it would be yours.”

“Before I killed you, naturally.” Seth pointed to the stairs. “After you.”

Darkness greeted me. Of course, I would be the one to have to go first.

“Don’t worry,” Seth piped up behind me. “I won’t kill you when it’s dark. That would hardly be
fair.”

“And you’re all about being fair. Oh wait, last time you attacked me, you paralyzed me. Thanks, by
the way.”

“Don’t mention it.” His voice echoed in the stairwell. A hand grasped my side. I flinched, but Adonis
murmured in my ear, so I knew it was him. This was a good call, considering I had my hand on my
favorite dagger, ready to remove the hand from his arm in minutes, now that I’d had fair warning from
Seth. I wasn’t going to take any chances.

“So…” Icarus lit a torch and moved to the front. “We travel down for a few hours until we get into
the Circle.”

“Circle?” I repeated.

Seth moved to the front next to Icarus. “Yes, the Circle. I guess the best way to explain it is Mt.
Olympus.”

“Wait, we’re in Olympus?”

“Technically we’re in Denali.” Icarus grinned. “But you didn’t really think all those stories about Mt.
Olympus were fake, did you? It exists. It’s just not in the sky.”

“No, it’s thousands of feet below the earth,” Adonis said next to me.

I gulped as my feet took each stair one at a time. “Sounds a lot like Hell to me.”

Seth laughed behind me. “Wisdom becomes you, Thena. And you aren’t very far off.”

“Mt. Olympus is Hell?” I could feel my mind trying to make the calculations. If Mt. Olympus, or
where the Titans resided with every other dark force, was Hell, that meant we were actually going
right into…

“Level your breathing,” Adonis whispered near my ear.

“We’re traveling directly into the Abyss.”

Nobody said anything for a while. Wisdom told me to stop making my guesses out loud, but I couldn’t
help it. Why wasn’t Adonis freaking out? Why were Seth and Icarus so calm?

“But they’ve been freed from the Abyss. So why are they still down here? I guess I don’t understand.”

“Freedom is in the eye of the beholder.” Seth laughed in front of me. “What is freedom, anyway? I
mean, yes, the Watchers are technically free of the chains of the Abyss. The blackness has been lifted
by Azazeel.”

I flinched at hearing my father’s name. But I was unwilling to allow a simple identity to upset me. I
continued climbing down. The closer we got, the hotter it became. It didn’t really bother me; it was
just irritating, and unfortunately fit with every stereotypical idea of Hell I’d ever heard.

“So, freedom.” I repeated what Seth had just mentioned. “What do you mean? They are free but not
really free?”

“Someone needs to free them.”

“Not it,” I murmured.

Adonis laughed next to me.

Seth let out a loud sigh. “Don’t worry. It would be an impossible task, even for you, Thena. Only one
can free them.”

“Who is that?”

“The one who put them there.”

I wasn’t sure I liked where this was going. “Raphael?”

“The one and only.” Seth cursed. “Imagine, an archangel coming down to the Abyss? It would never
happen.”

Confused, I blurted, “But I thought that’s what this entire mission was about. Everyone’s freaking out
over the Titans being free. Atlas is running around, so clearly he’s free. I don’t get it.”

“Soon,” Icarus piped up. “Very soon you will.”

Chapter Fifteen

We traveled down for a few more hours. Each step I took made me more curious. The walls were
dark, but every once in a while I would see a flash of light below us, illuminating enough of the
mountain to see things I was sure would never in my existence be blotted from my memory.

Faces of all different shapes, colors, and sizes were carved into the mountain walls. Some were
screaming in pain, others looked sad, and many of them looked insane. Teeth were missing, eyes were
missing, and at one point it looked like worms were crawling out of one of the faces.

Another light flickered, and I heard screaming. I tucked my body into the cave of Adonis’s form and
flinched. The screaming intensified, and then it was as if someone turned on a bright orange light.

The entire inside of the mountain illuminated. I really wished it would have stayed dark. The faces
weren’t just carved stone. They were real. And it wasn’t just faces but bodies of people in the walls
of the cavern, absolutely paralyzed.

Seth cursed and came up to my other side. “Purgatory.”

“You’re kidding,” I said without thinking.

“Nope.” Seth nodded toward the side of the wall. “Ever wonder what happens to those who defy El?
How about those who defy humans? Themselves? The betrayers? The ones who go against everything
they were created for?”

I swallowed. “They go to Hell.”

Seth nodded. “Not just any Hell. You see, there really are circles. When you fall, when you choose
the Darkness over the Light, you serve time here. For humans it’s easy. They get tossed into the fiery
pit, experience the worst torture imaginable, and are in a free fall that lasts for eternity. For our
kind…” Seth’s nostrils flared, he shook his head, and kicked the rock beneath his foot, “…for our
kind, we’re given Purgatory.”

I looked closely at the wall. One of the faces had red eyes; I noticed the woman next to him had
wings.

“Fallen angels?”

Seth nodded. “Angels, vampires, werewolves, demigods, Phantoms, Seekers… really, I could go on,
but all you need to know is every scary story ever told to little children is probably present in this
room. We aren’t given the same treatment as humans when we die. We’re placed here.”

“Kinda makes you not want to die,” I said breathlessly as I glanced at the beautiful woman with tears
running down her cheeks. I watched in horror when a rip tore through one of her wings. Black blood
trickled down the her back and maggots consumed her flesh.

“You have no idea…” Seth shook his head. “… how badly I want to stay alive.”

“So bad you’d kill me to succeed?”

“I’d kill every last angel, every last brother I have, in order to save myself from this.”

Adonis tensed beside me. “Selfishness and sin at its finest, Athena.”

“You know nothing, Zar.”

Adonis’s hand clenched mine. Where had I heard that word before? Zar? It was Hebrew. My mind
should have worked faster, but the fatigue and stress from the trip was getting to me. Not to mention I
hadn’t shared a kiss with Adonis in a few hours. Not that I was in any position to ask him, a Zar, for
anything. His betrayal made me stubborn. Seth interrupted me.

“What? You didn’t know?”

Adonis jerked me closer to him. “If you speak of this, I will end you.”

Seth lifted up his hands and smirked. “She should at least get the truth from you, considering.” He
gave me a cruel smile and waited.

I stopped walking down the stairs.

Icarus cursed. “Are we really doing this now?”

Adonis looked away from me. “Zar means alien.”

I wasn’t sure what everyone expected me to say. I mean, was I supposed to freak out? Give him a high
five? Hug him?

Clearly, Seth wanted a better reaction than me sitting there completely unimpressed. “He’s not one of
us.”

“Got it,” I answered. “He’s an alien.”

Seth seemed frustrated as he threw his head back and laughed. “You didn’t think humans were the
only chosen creation, did you?”

“That’s enough, Seth.” This from Adonis.

But Seth didn’t stop. “Have you any idea, Athena, how many other races were created? Do you even
realize how small of a part you play in this giant drama that El calls life? Do you?” Bitterness seeped

out of his every word.

I shook my head.

Icarus grabbed Seth’s arm and pulled him back from me. Seth turned toward the wall and leaned
against it, the faces stared at him, trained on him.

“So many races were destroyed in the original Fall,” Icarus whispered. His voice somehow echoed
through the mountain. “Adonis is one of the last of his.”

“Last?” I repeated.

Icarus nodded. “He has power to command the angelic beings, but he isn’t an angel. He’s a hyper-
breed. Created for one thing and one thing only.”

“What?” I asked.

“Manipulation and war.”

“Aphrodite?” I whispered.

Adonis sighed. “My sister.”

“Right.” I laughed. “Well, that’s just great. I’m stuck down here with some alien who used to be my
best friend but thought it wasn’t necessary to tell me his origin of creation, a fallen angel, and a
Phantom. Perfect.”

“Let’s not forget the millions of dark fairytales lining the walls,” Seth chimed in.

No one ever said Seth was helpful.

I sighed and continued the descent.

“Thena, wait.” Adonis gripped my hand. I jerked back.

“You want me to trust you with my life, when you can’t even tell me who or what you really are?”

His eyes were sad. He licked his lips and turned away. “You’re right.” He continued walking next to
me and said nothing more.

Honestly, it explained so much. The angels weren’t stupid enough to give me another Seeker. How
had I not pieced this together sooner? Adonis entered into my world when I was almost fully grown in
form. All it took was for him to spew some tale about being a child in the Fall, and I assumed his
story was just as tragic as mine.

But I wasn’t even close. If he was from a different race altogether, it meant we had nothing in
common. It also meant that he wasn’t an angel, though a few minutes ago that had been exactly what I

was thinking.

My foot slipped on the next stair. The last thing I needed was to fall down the stairs and find myself
with broken bones in the presence of all the Titans. Nothing was making sense. I suddenly felt like I
couldn’t trust anyone. I felt lonely, and for the first time in my existence, truly afraid.

“I would feel afraid too, my love. After all those years. To be betrayed, it seems unfair, does it
not? Think of how the angels deceived you, how Michael did not even trust you.”

I shook my head against the treacherous words. The voice was the same as before, only this time it
seemed stronger.

“I would never betray you, Thena. I love you.”

I clenched my teeth and kept walking.

Seth fell into step beside me. “You’re either losing your mind, have a bug in your ear, or something is
up.”

I bit my lip. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not,” Seth said immediately. “You’re upset.”

“Clearly you’re a genius.”

Seth cursed and ran both hands through his golden hair. “I’m just trying to cheer you up. It would
hardly be fair for me to betray you in front of all the Titans when you’re not even up to par.”

“Your words are a balm to my soul,” I fired back sarcastically.

“There, she is.” Seth laughed. “No, but seriously, you need to get it together, like now.”

“Why? It’s not as if—”

A shriek broke through the mountain, causing it to tremble. The stairs suddenly ended. Nothingness
stretched out below me. I half-expected Seth to push me, but he looked just as freaked out.

Icarus stepped around us and out into the nothingness. I reached out to stop him, but Adonis pulled me
back. I wanted to close my eyes. I didn’t want to watch Icarus fall to his death.

But instead of falling, he was walking, across the air as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Once he reached the other side of the wall, he ran his hands across the rock in a circular motion.

A red light broke through the dark surface creeping around the giant wall and then shooting out toward
our faces, illuminating the path Icarus had just taken. Slowly, I stepped out and made my way to
where he stood. Seth and Adonis followed.

“So do we just go in?” I asked.

Icarus laughed. “It would be kind of a waste of a journey if we didn’t, don’t you think?”

“Right.” I didn’t budge.

Icarus pushed against the wall. It slid slowly to the right. I expected it to be the size of normal door.

It wasn’t.

There was nothing normal about this door. It stood around three hundred feet tall and two hundred feet
wide. More red light escaped the entrance. It was only pushed open far enough for us to step through.

Great. We’d officially just switched from high and low places to small confined spaces.

Adonis went in first. I went in behind him, then Seth, and finally Icarus. Torches lit the narrow
hallway. Big shock, but there were steps leading further down. We were probably going to be at the
earth’s core any minute now.

I counted the steps.

Ninty-nine of them, to be exact.

It was the only way I could keep my mind focused on the task at hand. It’s hard to use wisdom in
situations where all you can focus on is the darkness around you. I was trained to ignore it. But
darkness like that, the kind that chokes you, was kind of hard to ignore.

Finally, at the bottom of the stairs the room fanned out.

My foot met a giant circle and within that circle were six smaller ones, if you could call around
twenty thousand square feet small.

In the center of the circle was a man. He stood around twelve feet tall. We slowly approached him.
His hair was pitch black, his eyes a blazing white. I wanted to look away. But it was impossible. He
was both beautiful and terrifying. My feet kept me advancing in a straight line toward the man. In his
hand was a long scepter. His robes were red and draped to the floor in a puddle around his feet. They
seemed to be almost part of the ground, as if he was unable to move.

Seth spoke first. “Iapetos, we need to pass.”

An involuntary shiver ran down my spine. Iapetos was one of the brothers, one of the Titans. Before
the Fall, he was in charge of assigning a lifespan to humans. Before the Great Flood it was well
known humans lived to be over nine hundred years old.

Once the Watchers or Titans fell, the days of man were numbered as a way to punish the human race
along with the angels. Iapetos lost his job, and El threw him into the Abyss along with his brothers.

His red eyes flashed to me. “Athena.”

Fantastic, creepy Titan knows my name.

“Yes,” I answered more confidently than I felt.

Iapetos’s lips formed a smile. “I have been waiting thousands of years for you.”

“Lovely.” I croaked. “Sorry I can’t say the same.”

At that, he threw his head back and laughed. “I understand, dear one. Now, run along. They are
waiting for you.”

“Are you coming with us?” I asked casually.

A shadow fell across Iapetos’s face. “No, my dear. I am unable to move from this place.”

“But I thought you were free?”

“Free?” Iapetos sputtered. “Freedom is defined in many ways, I guess. I am no longer blinded by El,
but as you can see, I am not free. I am stuck into the very ground I was thrown upon.”

I nodded.

Adonis grabbed my hand. He had a torch in his other hand and pulled me toward the next walkway.

“Athena,” Iapetos called.

I turned around.

“Trust no one.”

Chapter Sixteen

I didn’t realize how alone I could feel before Iapetos said those words. I shivered. Or maybe I
trembled. Either way, Adonis pulled me closer to his side. It was the only comfort I had. The fact or
the simple idea that he was, at one point, my everything.

But right now, it felt like I had nothing.

Seth and Icarus were strangely quiet as we went further into the mountain. This time it took only
minutes before we were again in a large room. It was beautiful.

Fire lined the walls from ten-foot torches, and in front of me stood ten of the Watchers. Each of them
was hooded with red material similar to Iapetos’s. The only difference was they were not in any way
paralyzed in place.

Instead, they moved around one another, as if they were floating on a cloud. I couldn’t see their feet;
the red cloak took care of that. If I didn’t know any better I would say they were merely spirits of the
actual beings, not in full physical form.

I stepped forward. “I am Athena. I’ve been sent—”

“We know who you are,” a deep voice said.

I took my battle stance and waited as one of the hooded figures floated toward me. With swift
movements, he removed his hood.

His face was much like Atlas’s. So beautiful to look at that my eyes burned. His skin was perfect —
too perfect. I watched as his eyes narrowed, taking in all of me.

“I imagined someone taller,” he said finally.

I laughed. “Yeah, well I imagined someone shorter.”

He smiled, a genuine smile that made my defenses melt just a bit. For some reason I had envisioned
terrible demonic-like creatures that would love nothing more than to scrape my face with their claws.

“Shall we sit?” The man held out his hand and immediately two plush chairs appeared in front of us.

“What about—?” I turned around and pointed at Adonis, Seth, and Icarus.

“Apologies, my sweet, but they are not invited into our circle.”

“Oh.”

I nodded toward them as they waited back at the wall. Each of the men seemed ready to pounce at any
minute.

“Odd company that you keep, Athena,” the man said, smirking.

“Caught that, did you?”

He nodded. “A Phantom, a Zar, and a fallen brother. Very interesting indeed.”

I ignored his information fishing and cleared my throat. “You seem to have an advantage over me. It
seems my reputation precedes itself, yet I have no idea what to call you.”

“I have many names.”

“Oh, cryptic. I like it.” I leaned back and folded my arms across my chest. “Your name, please. Let’s
go with the most used, shall we?”

“I like you.”

“I like you too.” I smiled.

He licked his lips then leaned forward. “You may call me Cronus.”

“The one who started it all,” I whispered.

“So you know your history? Impressive.” He nodded his head, and the rest of the figures circled
around us. “I wonder though, do you know the correct version?”

“Correct?” I asked intrigued.

“Do you trust me?” He lifted an eyebrow and smirked.

“Of course not.”

“Good.” He clapped his hands once, and the room turned black, and a small light flickered,
illuminating his hand as he held it out palm facing up. “I wouldn’t trust me either, but this, my dear
girl, is something you must know.”

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me.

The figures around us offered protection, meaning Adonis and the rest of them couldn’t see or hear
anything that was going on. For that, I was semi-grateful. If this was my mission, I was the only one
who could be trusted, not them.

“Shall I tell you a story?” Cronus asked.

“Well, I did come down here for something.” I smiled.

“Good girl.” He snapped above the little cloud of light and another light burst forth and another,
repeating until there were twelve stars all together. “We watched, for thousands of years we watched.
We watched while the selfish human race did nothing but destroy everything El gave them. We stood
by and did nothing when women would leave their husbands for each other. When children would
slaughter their parents and slander their Creator. We did nothing.”

I felt my lips tremble. I wanted to weep for them, but I couldn’t. I kept listening.

“We were all given free will. Even the angels. For what creator wants to be served out of duty? No,
El deserves to be served for the simple fact that El is everything.” Cronus paused. “I admit that I
became angry with El.”

“Angry?” I asked. “Why?”

“He saw that the humans were wicked, saw that they were making a mess of things, and He still loved
them. He loved them more than us.”

I felt my heart slam in my chest. “You were jealous.”

“Jealous?” he roared. “I was much more than that, my dear. How could He love them? How could He
love such an insignificant race? A race that was so dependent on him that they could do nothing, yet
had such arrogance that they claimed they didn’t need Him. Yet they ignored the sun and moon,
ignored the magnificence of their own bodies. Jealous does not even begin to describe it. How do you
become jealous of something so insignificant as an ant? Or a flea?”

Harsh, but okay.

“I fought with myself. I said nothing. Then when Lucifer, my brother, took angels with him, it became
harder and harder to keep my silence.”

The lights shifted, and suddenly I saw something I hated. A human girl was sitting by a pond
sunbathing. She was naked and beautiful. Her hair fell back against her shoulders, and water droplets
seemed to flicker across her golden skin.

“Hello,” a dark figure said over her. He was gorgeous. Bright blue eyes and pale skin framed a
perfectly chiseled figure. The woman laughed.

“Are you an angel?”

“Do you want me to be?” the man asked.

“No.”

“Why not?” He knelt down beside her and began rubbing his hand up and down her arm.

“Because, then I could not lie with you.”

“And is that what you want?” He purred in her ear.

She laughed and lay back. “Yes, after all, this is merely a dream. I have just fallen asleep and will
wake up in a little while. For I have never seen a man more beautiful in my waking. It must be a
dream.”

“Oh, it will be much more than that.”

I watched in horror as the angel who had clearly taken the shape of a normal human laid claim to the
woman and quickly left her. She took pleasure in his touch, then as quickly as he appeared, he
disappeared. The woman laughed and told herself to wake up.

Only, after a few minutes, she realized she was awake.

It had really happened.

The light changed again. The man took on his normal form as a heavenly being. It was Cronus. Only
he seemed aged, different. He slowly appeared back in the sky but wasn’t as bright as his brothers.

“They are wicked creatures,” he said. “And I will prove it to El. I will gain his attention once and for
all. Who will follow me?”

His brothers argued with him for twenty years. And in those twenty years, the woman had a child.

His name was Atlas.

Nausea overtook me as I watched the child come into the world. The mother died, and immediately
everyone could tell the child was different. Not of this world, they said as they passed him off and
finally left him in the desert.

“I went in search of him,” Cronus said. “I could not abandon my flesh and blood. Never have I felt so
enraged as when the humans discarded this innocent creature. It was my jealousy, my bitterness that
created the half-breed; it was no fault of Atlas. It still is not Atlas’s fault.”

I nodded. “I like Atlas too.”

He smiled. “Most do, my dear. After all, he carries a great many things on his shoulders. It is easier
to feel light around the boy.”

I sighed and watched as Cronus again snapped his fingers. The picture in front of me made me want to
weep. Cronus walked up to the small innocent child and picked him up in his arms.

“My son,” he said over and over again, weeping over his sin, his foolishness.

“My anger,” Cronus cleared his throat, “clouded my judgment. Anger has a way of turning into hate. I

hated the humans for their callousness toward an innocent creature. So, in all my hate, I used my son
as leverage. I brought him with me to the stars. I showed him to my brothers, and they were blinded
with rage matched only by mine. All of us fell that day. Not because of lust, my dear, though it quickly
turned into that. After all, which one of us does not fall prey to sin and lust? We slept with the
women, they bore us children, and in the end we hoped those very same children would destroy the
women who’d born them. For they did not deserve El’s love or the mark of a Heavenly.”

“But you were caught,” I said as light shed across the big picture of my past. “And my father…”

“He led us,” Cronus said simply. “He gave us leadership when there was no one to turn to.”

“My father was one of the Originals. Some say he and Lucifer…”

“I know,” Cronus said interrupting me. “Believe me when I say I know exactly who your father is.”

“Then you know why I fight so hard for the Seekers.”

Cronus nodded. “My dear, if there is anyone that is more ashamed of their past than I, it has to be
you.”

Shame did indeed wash over me as I nodded my head. I hated who my father was, who he
represented. I hated it so much.

“Good. Feed the hate, Athena. Feed it, it will make you free.”

“Did you say something?” I asked weakly.

Cronus shook his head. “No, my dear.”

Fear washed over me, as well as that same hatred, and I knew. I knew where my father was.

I took a deep breath, even though I didn’t need it, and pushed away from the chair. I walked a few feet
in front of me, the blackness leading the way. My breath suddenly turned ice cold in the air, freezing
as I inhaled and exhaled.

I closed my eyes and reached out in front of me.

“Hello, Father.”

“Daughter,” the familiar voice answered. “Welcome home.”

Chapter Seventeen

Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t Adonis whose hand I clenched in that instant, but a Titan’s. Cronus’s
hand to be exact. It was instinctual. His skin felt smooth against mine. I held on to him like my life
depended on it. I began to tremble as a black-cloaked figure moved effortlessly toward me.

“Brave, you must be brave, Thena,” Cronus said in my ear so only I could hear the words. With that,
he released my hand and guided me toward my father.

Staring at Darkness does something to you. The human side of you wants to flee, the angel side of you
wants to fight, and the sane part of your brain, the part El created for purposes such as this, freezes.
When you are in the presence of ultimate Darkness and sin, you are immobile.

Azazeel, my father, glided toward me and stopped directly in front of me. I held my breath as his
hands reached up to his hood and threw it back.

I hated his beauty, hated that looking at his face was like gazing upon a star or the sun. Everything
about him was perfect, from the molding of his lips to the arch of his eyebrows. His skin was bronzed
like the angels, yet it didn’t shine. Instead a constant dark cloud swirled across the surface of his face
as if he was shielded from the very Light that created him.

“You have returned to me.” His voice was deep and hoarse.

I shook my head and looked back toward Adonis.

He had a dagger ready to throw and looked so menacing I would have laughed had there been
anything remotely funny about our current situation.

I gave my father a cold stare. “I’m not returning. I’m merely visiting some old friends.”

Cronus laughed. “I believe she just insulted us.”

I shrugged and gave him a wink. I really did like him. I hoped in the end he would choose me over my
deceitful father.

“You have grown,” my father stated blandly.

“It’s typically what happens,” I answered sarcastically. “Is there a reason for your little visit? Aren’t
you supposed to be preparing for some great battle?”

Azazeel threw his head back and laughed. It echoed off the walls. “My dear girl, the battle was never

a physical battle to begin with. After all, I’ve only lifted the veil from the Titans. They still cannot
escape this mountain. Not without the help of Raphael.”

“So what are you going to do? Butter up one of El’s best archangels and get him to make a visit.”

“You’re very sarcastic for such an innocent.”

I crossed my arms. “You’re very perceptive.”

Azazeel’s brows furrowed. “I am all things.”

“Only One can say that,” I fired back.

“So you still fight for him? For someone you have never seen? You take Michael’s word over mine?
How are you even certain of El’s existence? At least tell me that.”

I had nothing to say. He had me there. Everyone knew the Seekers didn’t have El’s Spirit with them. It
was a gift only given to the human race. I was left out of that equation when I was born into Darkness.

“I just know,” I ground out.

“Just like I know you will betray Him.”

“I would never betray Him!” I shouted as I lunged for him.

In a minute Adonis was by my side. I clung to him, needing his energy to keep me sane.

“Oh, but I believe you will, my dear.”

“What makes you so certain?”

“I have something you want.”

“You have nothing I want.”

Azazeel chuckled and removed his cloak. “Thanatus, will you come here, boy?”

Icarus moved toward the circle. If I was a betting woman I would have said Seth was the evil one.
Instead Seth looked just as shocked as I. As Icarus moved into the circle, he quickly morphed into a
being that matched my father.

“Sold your soul to the devil, did you?” I whispered hoarsely.

Icarus, or apparently Thanatus, grinned and took a step toward me. “Tell me, Thena, have you missed
me in your dreams?”

Adonis growled and pulled me back. In an instant Adonis was on his knees, screaming in pain.
Thanatus snickered and pulled me flush against him. “Do you dream of me like I dream of you? Tell

me, was my song so sweet? My touch, pleasurable?”

His hand ran down the side of my arm. I tried to jerk back, but I couldn’t move against him. His
piercing blue and white gaze bore into me. His thick, corded muscles vibrated beneath his black
armor.

Thanatus leaned in and sniffed my neck then licked below my ear. “You taste just as I remember.
Choose me, Thena. As I choose you. You may be my queen.”

I shook my head. “I want nothing to do with you.”

With a laugh he threw me to the ground. “Very soon, you will change your mind.” He joined my
father’s side and yawned. “Shall we, Azazeel?”

A shriek was heard and then a loud rumbling. I was used to odd noises, especially considering my
current company. I stayed still, and then two large beasts, that looked exactly like possessed buffalo,
pulled a man in chains into the circle.

“Atlas!” I gasped, running to him. A transparent piece of glass shot up from the ground, nearly hitting
me in the face and trapping Atlas in the process.

His smile was sad. I felt my eyes well with tears.

“Life, my dear daughter, is all about choices.” Azazeel walked around me slowly. “Imagine if you
will, what would have taken place if the Watchers would have chosen to follow El. Yes, they would
be in heaven joined with their brothers, but they also would never have known infinite power. Power
that only I can give them.”

“You are nothing but a vessel of Lucifer,” I spat.

Azazeel gripped my neck, his face inches from mine as his teeth snapped together. “Watch whom you
speak of. He is my god.”

“He is nothing but a fake. A pretender. He is powerless.” As I said the words, I felt lighter, as if
saying the words out loud gave me more faith in my mission, removing the hatred I felt and the fear
that seemed to swallow me whole.

“You know nothing.” Azazeel dropped me to the ground. I reached up and rubbed my neck. It was
tender from his grip.

“I’ll forgive you your ignorance, if you do me this one favor.”

“I’ll never bow to you or your dark god.”

Azazeel laughed. “Oh, my dear, I believe we all know that. You would rather give your precious life
for a human than do such a thing.”

Well, that was almost true. I still struggled with the whole sacrificing myself for a weak human, but I
was working on it.

“Did you know, my daughter, that everyone has a soft spot for you? Did you never wonder why you
had such influence, such wisdom?”

“Clearly I got that from my mom’s side.”

Azazeel laughed. “And that lovely sense of humor. Yes, all of them gifts, supernatural gifts from the
angelic race. People are drawn to you. They genuinely like you. It is easy for you to influence others,
and even now I can see Cronus itching to rip my head off for even touching you.”

“You imagine correctly,” his irritated voice said behind me.

At least I had one Titan on my side.

“So, this favor, it has to do with something I need from you.”

“I will never do you any sort of favor.”

“I know.”

I exhaled loudly and waited.

“Would you, I wonder, do it to save someone else?”

My eyes flickered to Atlas. He shook his head; his eyes a silent plea to never give in.

Azazeel stepped into the circle near Atlas. “My dear, did you happen to see all the faces of the
different beings as you made your way down into the Abyss? Did you see the torture? The pain? Do
you realize that for an eternity they will experience everything the Abyss has to offer? Can you begin
to imagine the pain you would feel at getting every nail removed from your fingers only to have them
grow back again and the process repeated? How about someone pulling your hair out, and then
feeding that hair to you? Only to have hair grow from the inside, yet again on your face and other parts
of your precious body? How about maggots consuming your flesh until you can no longer scream?”

I shifted on my feet, my gaze never leaving Atlas’s face. He was trying to be brave, but he was also
shaking with fear.

“El may say he is a God of love, but my dear, the punishment for doing what these angels did, is
exactly what they deserve. If they do not fight for me, I will kill them. They stand no chance against
my army. If they fight for you, they have no guarantee they will leave this place. And if they stay here,
immobile, then nothing changes, but at least they will not be tortured until judgment day. But Atlas,
dear, sweet Atlas, he will meet his end soon, unless you make the choice for him.”

“If I choose for him, if I choose life,” I swallowed the lump in my throat, “then his brothers will
follow.”

Azazeel clapped loudly “Ah, well done, my dear! They will of course follow, because there is one
thing you need to understand about the angels. They are loyal to a fault. They will follow Azazeel into
the depths of Hell. They choose him over service to El, is that not what got them in this predicament
in the first place?”

“El sees all!” I screamed. “He sees what you are doing! He will stop it!’

“He has stopped nothing, my dear, and He will continue to do nothing. Why do you think you work so
hard? He has angels for such things and Seekers, as well as other races of super beings. Why on earth
would He stop me?”

“Because He can,” Adonis said next to me. “Your bitterness blinds you. Your pride makes you
weak.”

Azazeel growled at Adonis and slapped Atlas across the face. I moved again to reach him but
couldn’t.

Either way we were doomed. Why had they sent me here? Had they sent me here to die?

Chapter Eighteen

I knew I was wise enough to figure this situation out, but it felt like I had no option. Either way the
Titans would fight for Azazeel. If Atlas died, they would want to avenge his death any way possible,
and they would feel trapped to fight for evil. I would be a representation of the Light, and I would be
responsible for snuffing his out. Because in the end, even though it was Azazeel’s fault, he would use
his manipulation to make the Titans believe that the same fate would befall them if they didn’t fight
for him. He’d threaten them, and in threatening them, he’d offer them salvation.

If I let him live, they would follow him into battle because he was a part of them.

The Titans did nothing alone. Everything was together.

“I’m waiting for your answer,” Azazeel said irritatingly.

I glanced at Seth. His lips were parted, and then his eyes flashed. White filled the room. I hunched
down to hide my face. It was too bright to contain.

“What is the meaning of this!” Azazeel shouted above the thunderous moaning of the mountain.

Seth slammed him against the wall, thrusting his foot into Azazeel’s chest. Thanatus lunged for him
but was quickly stabbed by Adonis then kicked in the head. With a yell, Seth pulled out a sword every
bit as long as Michael’s, only it was still stained black. He plunged it into Azazeel’s leg, pinning him
against the wall, then in a flash ran to the Circle.

The Titans quickly formed a shield around him.

Only angelic power could break the Circle, for it was made by a Fallen. The Titans had relinquished
their power and had none to speak of in the Abyss. I knew it was hopeless.

So I prayed.

I grabbed Adonis’s hand and prayed. I asked El for help. Even though I was sure He could not hear us
so far into the depths of Hell.

A crack sounded as Seth pushed against the shield, trying to reach Atlas. Blood trickled out of his
eyes from the strain of pushing. Adonis tried to help him, but every time he touched it he was shocked.
It was nearly impossible. I could see that Seth was running out of time. Azazeel had almost pulled the
sword from his leg.

Another shattering crack was heard. Seth moaned. “One more time, El, just one more time.”

Light poured out of Seth’s mouth as his body convulsed and then transformed into pure white.

Large white wings broke out of his shirt; he grew another two sizes, nearly matching the Titans.

“Uriel!” Cronus shouted behind us. I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands. It could not be. If
Seth was truly Uriel, truly had fallen with the rest of them, that meant he was king over Tartarus, over
the Abyss. He was, in a word, a ruler of the Underworld — Hades himself.

Uriel shouted and flung his sword against the shield, shattering it into a million pieces. He reached
Atlas and flung him over his shoulder pulling him behind the shroud of Titans just as Azazeel reached
the inner circle.

Adonis ran to Atlas, joining Seth.

I watched as Azazeel stepped over Thanatus and laughed. “You think that is all you must do to defeat
me?”

Uriel stood. He still looked like Seth, only prettier if you can imagine that. His entire body shone with
white, his hair went down his back, and large muscles protruded from every angle of his body as he
took very purposeful steps toward Azazeel.

“Do you forget, Little One?”

Oh crap. He did not just call Azazeel Little One.

“I am the ruler of Tartarus, ruler of the Abyss, and ruler of Olympus. You have no power when I am
in residence.”

“You are Fallen,” Azazeel spat.

Uriel smiled. “At the moment, I am restored. So try me, Little One. Try to defeat me, and we will see
who has the power in the Darkness. For evil cannot even get close.”

Azazeel ran at Uriel, but with a flick of Uriel’s wrist, Azazeel was thrown against the wall.

“This is not over!”

Uriel nodded. “No, it has just begun.”

“Who is coming with me? Who will fight against this injustice!” Azazeel yelled, his face contorting
with rage. “Who will choose me?”

The Titans were silent.

The room for once was silent.

Finally Cronus spoke. “You cannot free us, therefore we see no reason to fight.”

“I lifted the blackness that El put here! If not for me and Thanatus, you would still be immobile in
utter darkness!”

“Then a thanks is in order.” Cronus smirked. “Thank you, for being so… kind.”

Azazeel cursed, then covered Thanatus with his robe and disappeared.

I looked around, still in partial shock over what had just happened. Cronus came to my aid and
offered the robe he was wearing. The minute he took it off, I wished he would have kept it on.

The robes kept us from seeing their true forms.

They were almost too bright to look at. Their skin glowed to such an extreme I had to shake my head.
They were stars after all. It only made sense they would light up a room as well as an entire universe.

I took the robe and knelt beside Atlas. He was bleeding but alive.

“Are you well?” I asked, touching his cheek with my hand.

“I am now. Where is Uriel?”

I looked behind him where Uriel stood. The light was quickly fading from his body, his hair slowly
going back to normal. It seemed El had not restored him for an eternity, but for a moment in time, a
moment in which he was needed.

Chapter Nineteen

Getting the Titans to agree to wait until we heard from Raphael at the park was relatively easy. It
seemed they were in just as much shock as we were over the whole ordeal.

Though part of me wondered if Michael knew more than what he’d said earlier.

It was just Adonis, Atlas, Seth, and I as we made our way out of the mountain. Atlas, it seemed, was
the only Titan that had truly been released because he wasn’t thrown into the Abyss but chained
outside of it as punishment. He’d basically carried part of the mountain for thousands of years.
Azazeel’s power was enough to set him free and use him as bait.

Lucky Atlas.

The snow was piling onto the ground at an alarming speed. I wasn’t cold, just irritated that we had
such a long journey ahead of us. I wasn’t really in the mood to trounce miles and miles to the nearest
airport or road in order to hitch a ride with some smelly human who would most likely offer me crap
coffee.

“My, my, she’s moody,” Atlas muttered next to Adonis.

“Heard that,” I grumbled.

They laughed in unison and kept climbing until we were all completely free of the mountain’s
entrance.

“So now what?” I put my hands on hips. Maybe now was the time to pray for assistance. I really
didn’t want to walk.

“We wait,” Adonis said.

“For?”

He chuckled and pulled me to his side, kissing my hair. “For my army.”

This is the part where I say “what army?”, but really, I already know about his army. I just don’t
know how that’s going to help us in this situation.

Within minutes, thousands of ministering angels appeared. They looked like normal humans, just
really perfect ones who didn’t seem to have normal skin and hair. Their hair seemed too thick to be
real, and their skin was translucent. They almost looked like spirits, but I knew better. It was just the

reflection of the snow on the white of their armor.

A girl stopped in front of me. “Athena, I bring you good news.”

I needed good news.

I smiled. I couldn’t help it. Her laugh was contagious. “What news?”

She nudged me with her elbow. “Today, you fly.”

“No walking?” I gasped and fought the urge to jump up and down.

“No.” She grinned. “No walking, if you’ll just hang onto me, we’ll be off.”

“Uh…” I grabbed her hand. “I can’t ride you like a horse.”

“I hope you like horses.”

I scratched my head just as three white horses appeared in front of us, fire blazing in their eyes. I had
heard of the heavenly horses but never actually seen one up close. It was said the prophets of old
were brought into heaven on chariots of fire. The horses matched the chariots.

Apparently the stories were all true.

I jumped on my horse and grinned like a little kid as I grasped the silky hair between my fingers.

Adonis’s horse trotted next to mine. “Athena?”

“Yes?” I jerked up, grinning like a fool.

“I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks.” I felt sort of let down after all those times when he wanted to talk to me, when he made me
think I was more than just his partner and friend.

“And, Athena?” He leaned across his horse and braced his hands on either side of my hips. “I love
you.” His lips crushed against mine, his hands threaded through my hair, and then he pulled back.

My eyes blazed purple. I could feel them changing from the power we’d just exchanged and the
absolute desire I felt for him.

“Could you have at least waited until we were at our destination?” Atlas joked behind us.

I rolled my eyes, unable to wipe the smile from my face and looked ahead.

“Let’s go.” Adonis gripped his horse’s mane, and we all took off, following the angels into the night
sky.

Chapter Twenty

What would have taken us hours on a plane or days in a car seemed like minutes when we were flying
through the crisp night air.

Luckily, Seattle was filled with as many freaky people as Portland and other large cities, so when we
landed under the bridge with our horses, the only thing the bums did was toss back more alcohol.

With a nod and a wave, the angels left along with the horses.

My body felt a little sore from the rough winds or whatever it was, considering it was impossible to
feel turbulence on a horse. I stretched my neck a bit and walked toward the first bum, quickly
knocking him out with my hand and moving on to the next one.

“Watching her work frightens me,” Seth said behind us.

I rolled my eyes, even though they couldn’t see me and repeated the same gesture until all five bums
were officially snoring in la-la land.

I turned around. Adonis was grinning like a fool. Typical. Seth was shaking his head, and Atlas
seemed just as amused. “What?” I wiped my hands on my shirt. “Do you really want them to know
what we’re about to talk about? The park is only a mile away. With our luck they’d follow us and get
themselves killed, and then I would have to save them.”

Atlas nodded. “True.”

“Shall we?” I started walking toward Gasworks Park. Adonis fell into step beside me, which is
exactly what I didn’t want to happen. We were about to meet with the archangels with Atlas and Seth
in tow. Two beings who technically weren’t supposed to even gaze upon an angelic face ever again.
The last thing I needed was to be distracted by the fact that Adonis had said he loved me. Was the fact
that he was a Zar make his love any less forbidden or frowned upon? I wasn’t sure, and I hated that I
wanted to know the answer more than anything.

“So…” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “You still mad?”

“Hmm…” I pretended to be thinking and promptly tripped over my feet. Adonis caught me and
chuckled. I jerked away and bit my lip. “Depends.”

“On?”

“Do you still love me?”

“Yes,” he said quickly.

“Then I wouldn’t say I’m mad.”

“Irritated?”

“A little.” I shrugged. “I don’t know, Adonis. Mostly I’m just confused and a bit hurt. I mean, why
didn’t you ever tell me?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“You can’t tell me why you can’t tell me?”

He grimaced. “Sounds horrible when you put it that way.”

I shook my head. “Now I’m mad.”

“Great.” He ran a hand through his dark hair and kicked the ground. “Let me talk to Michael, and if he
gives me the green light, I’ll tell you. Deal?”

Chances were next to none that Michael would let Adonis tell me anything, but I nodded my head in
agreement.

We reached the park quickly and waited near the top of the larger of the hills. It was a common
meeting place for all religions.

Seattle was known for having lots of witches and New Age worshippers. Before storms, a lot of them
would congregate around the tallest hill and throw spells out into the air. I found it mildly amusing,
especially considering the only thing they were actually accomplishing was looking like complete
idiots and, of course, worshipping my father.

If they could see who he really was, they wouldn’t be speaking any sort of worship or spell. They’d
be locking their doors as if their lives depended on it and hugging the closest Bible they could find.

The skies were overcast, but a few stars shone through the clouds. I shivered. I would never look at a
star the same. Of course, I knew not all of them were Watchers, but still. It made everything I did
seem more important, like I had been given this incredible task, and I was the only one to carry it out.

After all, despite the fact that I was considered an abomination, I was given a job by El. A job to
protect the race He held in such high regard. There must be something special about humans. I still
couldn’t figure out what, but there had to be something.

I hated my human side, so I fought with everything I could to stay in the moment, to use my
supernatural senses to take over what I viewed as weakness. But for the first time in my life, as I
watched two people hold hands and laugh as they walked by me, I wanted to know, would it be so
bad? Was being normal such a bad thing?

As if he sensed my deep thoughts, Adonis grabbed my hand and squeezed it. I gave him a weak smile.

It was nearing two in the morning. The Originals would be meeting us soon. I had no idea what I was
supposed to say. After all, the mission had been to convince the Titans to fight with us. I had failed. I
mean, I had Atlas, and at least they weren’t fighting for Azazeel, but still.

I was here as a representative of them. They’d asked me to ask Raphael a small favor, and I wasn’t
sure it was wise to ask him. After all, he did have a minor anger issue. Well, actually all of them did.

Taking a deep breath, I waited.

The horn sounded three times in the distance. We formed a circle, the four of us, and held hands as a
shroud of light fell from the sky. Everything went black again.

The people froze around us as if they were in a paralyzed state. We always did this when we had to
meet in public. What people didn’t realize was that this was holy ground.

I know, weird. Seattle, Washington? Really? But it was. Before the Flood took place, the world had
been one giant land mass. Eden, or at least Earth’s Eden was located near the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers, but the new Eden, a part of the world God had created just for humans as a sort of crown of
his creation, it was located near what we now call the Pacific Northwest.

It was a place no human had ever entered until after the Flood. For one, it was thousands of feet
bellow the earth’s surface. The Puget Sound and Pacific Ocean are so deep and dark you couldn’t
even see remnants of it if you tried. I’ve heard stories about it, passed down through other Seekers,
and Michael sometimes had talked about it.

But it always made him sad.

I hate making him sad, and he knew it. So once I was too old for the stories, I stopped asking. He said
it was his home. It was the home of the spiritual realm when they were here on Earth, but after the
Flood, God’s presence left the earth, leaving only sin in its place. Man no longer walked with God.
Man no longer talked with God. Man had each other and that was it.

The price of sin was separation and destruction. I kneeled down and picked up some soil in my
hands. If you looked close enough, you could still see the sparkle of the stars in the dirt. It made me
smile. One of these days, Eden would be restored. I just hoped I would live to see that day.

A shock of heat ran through my body as the three angels descended onto the holy ground, the only
place they could stand without leaving permanent marks on the earth. Headquarters was made for
angelic powers. Because the earth was broken, it was no longer able to handle so much angelic
power in one place. I’m sure there would be a few earthquakes tomorrow to prove it. The plates
always shifted under the pressure.

Each of us bowed. I kicked Atlas, but finally after a minute of hesitation, he followed us to the wet
ground.

“Rise,” Michael commanded.

The archangels were dressed in battle gear. Large golden armor covered them from head to toe.
Swords, nearly as tall as I was, were hanging from their waists. Their white hair was pulled back
into tight leather bands. I gulped and waited for Michael to direct his attention toward me. Instead his
eyes narrowed.

“Atlas.” A tear ran down Michael’s cheek before he said, “Brother.”

Atlas fell to his knees, sobbing. Although he was a half-breed, he was just like me. He had suffered as
I had suffered; he was half-human, half-angel. Though he had long ago given in to the side of his
father, he was still innocent in this mess.

“He has a word for you,” Michael spoke confidently.

“He?” Atlas repeated, tears still streaming down his face.

Michael nodded then kneeled in front of Atlas, putting his large hand on his head. Never before had I
seen an archangel bend a knee or touch the very earth that had created this mess. I watched in shock as
he smiled and spoke, “Forgiveness works from the inside out. In order to forgive, one must accept.
One must also receive. He says He forgives and asks why do you not receive?”

Atlas shook his head. “I’m not worthy to receive anything.”

“Says who?”

“Everyone. I’m an abomination.”

I flinched, because I was thinking that exact same thing. Didn’t I struggle with that same insecurity?

“You are His son.”

“I’m the son of Cronus.”

“And who is the father of Cronus?”

Atlas swallowed. “El.”

“Then I ask again,” Michael whispered. “Who is your true father?”

The air thickened with tension.

Atlas hung his head in shame. “El. He is my father.”

“Receive. In order to win this battle, we need you, Atlas, but you must receive.”

Atlas nodded.

Michael rose to his feet and looked at all of us poignantly. I tried to break eye contact, but I was
never good at avoiding him. Raphael and Gabriel both cracked smiles in my direction. Helpful.

I knew they could read my thoughts, for both of their smiles widened. Gabriel coughed as Raphael
cleared his throat and looked away.

Sometimes I forget that angels still have a sense of humor.

Michael sighed. “Athena, you’ve been busy.”

“Understatement,” I answered, putting my hands on my hips.

Michael chuckled. “What news do you bring me?”

I exhaled and clenched Adonis’s hand. “The Titans refused to fight for Azazeel, but…”

“But?” Michael prompted.

“They ask a favor.”

“A favor?” Michael seemed more amused than upset as he laughed. “And do the Fallen feel they are
in a position to ask a favor?”

“To be fair,” Seth interrupted, stepping up beside me. “They helped save our lives. Cronus himself
would have suffered eternity in Purgatory if it would have spared Athena’s life.”

“And who are you to question my authority?” Michael demanded.

Gabriel fell to his knees in that moment, weeping. “Uriel. It is our brother Uriel.”

Michael’s gaze narrowed, and it was as if the layers of his confusion lifted. He began to cry with
Gabriel. Raphael soon followed. I have to admit I was feeling a little emotional. After all, once upon
a time Uriel had stood right along with these angels. There were seven all together in the beginning,
and Seth, or Uriel, should have been one of them.

Seth nodded, and in an instant, he was again transformed into his original state. The four angels
hugged. I felt like I was watching something too intimate for my eyes, but Atlas, Adonis, and I stayed
silent, as they all communicated with one another in a language I would never understand. The ancient
language of my ancestors. The heavenly tongue.

After a few minutes, Seth stepped back, and the form of Uriel vanished. Again I was struck with
gratitude. El must watch all, for I knew Seth didn’t possess the power to keep changing back into his
original form. It was as if he was graciously allowing this reunion, despite what Seth had done.

“Our brother says Thanatus and Azazeel are still alive and well.” Michael said to me.

I nodded. “Yes, but for now they will leave the Titans alone. That’s part of the favor they asked.”

“I’m listening.” Michael crossed his arms.

“They want the protection of Light.”

Adonis’s hand gripped mine tighter; none of us breathed. As Michael’s nostrils flared, he began
pacing in front of us, and then stopped. His eyes blazed white as his head tilted back. Power surged
through him as he stood motionless, his eyes so white I had to look away.

Within seconds, it was over.

His eyes returned to normal, and he looked at me. “Consider it done. El agrees with this favor.
Because the portal has been opened by Azazeel, they need protection from the Darkness.”

“Whom will you send?”

Michael looked up. I followed his gaze and noticed a star shoot from the sky and fall down to Earth.
“One of their own. Despite what’s been done, El decided it would bring them something that all the
protection in the world cannot give.”

“What?” I watched as the star disappeared into the earth.

“Hope.”

Chapter Twenty-One

My throat constricted with emotion as I took in what Michael had just said. When the Titans had
fallen, it was like a great divorce in the universe, a giant tear between Heaven and Earth. They’d
caused it, they’d been to blame, and still El had shown mercy in the form of offering hope.

Because He’d extended that grace and that same hope, my faith grew, for I was just as guilty as they
were. I was black as sin, and I wondered, did that mean I had a chance too?

As always, the archangels were brief, and of course, confusing. They ordered us to rest for a bit
before we found information of Azazeel’s next move. Though they imagined it would be soon, they
figured we would be safe for a few days.

Adonis pulled Michael aside briefly.

I stood by Seth and Atlas, watching the exchange.

“He’s talking about you,” Seth whispered.

“How can you tell?” I didn’t see anything telling about the conversation.

“He’s flushed.” Seth snickered. “And to top it off, he looks like he’s about two minutes away from
grabbing Michael’s sword.”

I gulped. “They’re arguing.”

“Big time.” Seth laughed.

I punched him in the arm. “I haven’t forgotten that you tried to kill me. Don’t push me.”

Seth sighed and tugged me, so I faced him. Crap. He was perfect. “Icarus, or as you know him now,
Thanatus, was very powerful. When I was near Darkness…”

“It takes over,” I finished for him.

He nodded. “It’s no excuse. It’s like watching yourself captive in your own body, watching yourself
make decisions and do stupid things, but you don’t have the will to stop it.”

“I’m sorry.”

He shrugged. “Don’t be. Remember, I chose this. I fell. I chose to separate myself from whom I used
to be. In Heaven I helped command armies. I was in charge of the souls of people. I had dominion

over humans. Here, I’m merely Seth.”

“That’s kind of awful.”

He laughed. “You’re telling me. I used to envy humans. Now? Not so much.”

“They aren’t that bad,” I mumbled.

“Says the half-breed.” Atlas coughed behind me. I glared and turned my attention back to Seth.

“For what it’s worth, I forgive you.” I squeezed his hand. He looked down at our hands clasped
together. Power surged between us. If it hadn’t happened before, I would have been a little freaked.
“Why does that happen? I could have sworn each time we touched you grew or got more powerful.”

Seth flushed and looked away.

“What?” I laughed. “Now you have to tell me.”

Atlas chuckled behind us and lifted his hands. “I’m officially stepping out of this conversation and
walking toward the water. Have at it, Seth.”

Seth tugged the back of his hair and shook his head before biting his lip and facing me. “It’s kind of
embarrassing.”

“Try me.”

“What Adonis is to you, the way he gives you power gives you… feelings?”

I nodded.

“A Seeker, a half-breed, does similar things to a Fallen. When you fell, El put every human emotion
into you, only it’s a thousand times worse as I’m sure you know, because you have your heavenly side
as well. So when I’m exposed to Light, or something good, my supernatural side calls out to it.”

I gulped. “It calls you home.”

He nodded his head. “Yes. It does, and it’s really hard for me to not take advantage of that. In a way I
lust for you, but it’s nothing more than that.” His eyes held mine. I don’t know if he was trying to
convince me or himself, but I was never given the chance to ask. He dropped my hand and shrugged.
“It’s not a big deal, Thena.” With a wink he walked off.

“Where are you going?”

He nodded to where Adonis stood. “He has his answer. I think it’s better if I join Atlas. We’ll see
you both back at Headquarters tomorrow.”

“Where will you go?” I demanded.

“Thought I’d take Atlas down.”

I rolled my eyes. “Just make sure he comes back up from that place. Stupid vampires.”

“Hey, they fight for us,” he interjected then turned back around and slapped Atlas on the back.

Warm hands gripped my shoulders. “Ready?” Adonis’s honeyed voice whispered in my ear.

“Yes.”

“Good.” He held my hand as we walked along the shore in silence. We were only a few miles from
our apartment in Ballard. I hoped we were going to stay there tonight. I wasn’t ready to go back to
Headquarters just yet.

“So, how was Michael?”

“Unhappy.” Adonis sighed.

“Because of what you asked him?”

Adonis clenched my hand then brought it to his lips and kissed the soft skin near my thumb, his eyes
closed as his lips made contact with my hand. “Yes,” he murmured across my skin, making me
tremble.

“You can’t tell me, can you?”

Adonis grinned. The same grin I’m sure he gives women when he’s distracting them so I can go in for
the kill. Awesome. “I can tell you.”

I stopped walking. “Seriously?”

“Yes, but not here.”

“Why?”

“No protection. What I have to tell you isn’t exactly known in this realm.”

“Well.” I grabbed his hand and took off in a run, “Let’s go.”

****

It took us exactly ten minutes to run to the apartment. Naturally, we weren’t out of breath, and it had
felt good to stretch my legs. We laughed on the way to the top-floor penthouse, where we sometimes
lived.

The apartment had a gorgeous view of the Sound. I sighed quite contentedly, just looking out the
window, holding Adonis’s hand. But I wanted the story, the full story. I needed to know why he had

lied.

“Have a seat.” He pointed to the couch.

I sprawled out and watched him pace in front of me. Honestly, now that I knew, I couldn’t believe I
hadn’t noticed it before. His lips were slightly larger than most Seekers’. In fact, his face was a lot
like Michael’s or Raphael’s, as if someone went to great pains to shape him out of rock. Every plane,
from his cheekbones to the length of his neck, was in perfect symmetry. Even his hair didn’t have the
same texture mine did. I just thought it was part of his enticer tricks. But the closer I looked, the more
I realized he didn’t look half-human at all.

He looked like a completely different being.

And then it hit me.

“You jerk!” I jumped up from the couch and ran at him. Lucky for him I wasn’t mad enough to push
him through the window, but I was close.

“What?” He pulled me against his rock-hard body and sighed. “Another reason I didn’t tell you.”

I tucked my head against his chest. “You’re beautiful.”

He sighed again.

“You’ve been shielding me from seeing who you really are.”

“Yes.” His voice vibrated against my ear. I pulled back and looked at his face again.

“Why?”

“You’re very wise, Athena, as well as perceptive. If I hadn’t looked like you, you would have
gathered that I wasn’t like you and put two and two together, and we needed you safe.”

“From?”

“Your father.” He shrugged and pried my body away from his. “Now have a seat.”

I couldn’t stop staring at his face. I wasn’t even embarrassed that I was doing so. He was so
fascinating, so wonderful to take in. His skin was the same color as before but had a vibrant glow I
hadn’t noticed before. In his original form that he had all the time, he looked like a very attractive
supermodel. Right now, well, he looked like a much hotter version of Thor. You know, if Thor had
dark hair and crazy blue eyes.

I cleared my throat. Okay, now I was embarrassed. I’d just compared him to a mythological figure.

Adonis walked me to the couch and sat down next to me. “Angels were, of course, created first, then
came humans, and shortly after humans, after the original fall of Lucifer, El decided he needed to

create more armies.”

“Why?”

“Lucifer, in all his persuasion and jealousy, was able to take a third of the heavenly armies with him.
It’s not as if El wasn’t powerful enough to defeat Lucifer on his own, but his concern was for his new
creation. The humans needed protection once they’d fallen into sin and darkness. The spiritual war
created so much bloodshed that Michael and Gabriel fought for over one hundred days straight.”

Poor guys. I couldn’t even imagine.

“Anyway…” Adonis pulled my hand into his lap. “El knew he didn’t want to create more angels.
After all, they were the Originals, and though they can’t reproduce, he thought of creating a similar
race, a hyper-breed between humans and angels. A type of race that would be strictly for enticement
and battle.”

So…” Adonis shrugged. “He created us. Zars.”

“Rhymes with Mars.” I chimed in.

“Helpful, Thena. Really, as if I haven’t heard that before.”

I giggled. He pulled the tablet from the table and typed in a few constellations.

“What are you doing?” I asked, once I noticed the NASA website.

“Hacking.”

“Oh, cool, just hacking into NASA. Michael’s not going to be happy.”

“One of the many reasons he didn’t want me telling you. He knew you’d be so curious that I’d actually
have to show you the planet and break rules to do so.”

“He knows me too well.”

Adonis chuckled. “You have no idea.”

The tablet made a little noise, and Adonis quickly scanned different constellations. “Here, this
constellation.”

My mouth dropped open. “Canis Major? Your… er… um, planet is from the Canis Major
constellation?”

“Yes, if you keep repeating it, it makes it more true too.” Adonis widened the picture and scrolled
over. “Scientists have known for centuries that there are planets located in this solar system. They just
can’t get to them.”

“Is yours still there?”

Adonis’s hand paused above the screen. “Yes, but our people were no longer safe. So we left and
joined in the heavenly wars.”

“What did it look like?”

Adonis laughed. “Honestly?”

I nodded. Because he had kept this story from me, I was eager for information.

“Water. We had a lot of water.”

“More than earth?”

“A lot more than earth. Our people gained our energy from the sun and moon. The main city was
called Zion.”

“Of course it was.” I shook my head.

“Anyway.” Adonis set the tablet back on the coffee table. “We had masses of land that had large
crystal structures on them. The structures held people and were also temples of worship. We were
only there for a hundred years before the battle was brought to our front door. El did everything He
could. We knew what we were bred for, but we all hoped the battle wouldn’t start so soon, but it had,
so we left with the archangels.”

I leaned against him. He rubbed my head with his hand. “The first minute I saw you, I was lost.” He
laughed. “Michael told me to keep a straight head. I was given my assignment. Protect you at all
costs. Lay down my life for you, and I was in no way allowed to give you my true identity, unless it
was a matter of life or death.”

“Oh.”

Adonis pulled my head away from his chest and tilted my chin up so I could see directly into his
blazing blue eyes.

“I’ve loved you for an eternity.”

What’s a girl to say to that? I wanted to cry and shout at the same time. Instead I embraced my human
side, just for once, and leaned in and kissed him. Not because I needed any sort of energy or strength.
Because I wanted to.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Adonis’s lips moved quickly over mine. His hand tightened in my hair; his other gripped my waist.
His lips tasted like lavender. I shivered. Maybe that was another thing he had been hiding from me?
Probably a good thing, considering it made me want to devour him.

I pulled back and looked into his eyes. They were blazing an icy blue as he kissed my head. “You
need your rest.”

“I’m not tired,” I argued as I stifled a yawn.

“Right, okay, we’ll just rest our eyes, “ he said patronizingly as he picked me up and walked me to
the room.

With a sigh, I cuddled into the bed, but it didn’t dip under his weight.

I flipped around and gave him a questioning look.

He grinned. “Sorry, Thena. But you’re still part human, wouldn’t want to cause you to fall.” With a
wink he sauntered out of the room and shut the door.

Many mean names came to mind, but instead of yelling after him, I laughed and closed my eyes. He
was probably right, and we both knew I would just be making a fool of myself. I didn’t have the self-
control right now to keep myself from mauling him, and that was the last thing our relationship
needed. Complications.

I sighed into the pillow, savoring the scent of Adonis, and closed my eyes.

“Thena, I have come for you,” a voice said in my ear. “Follow me, come with me,” the voice
whispered again. “You are so perfect. So precious. Be mine.”

I turned on my side and was met by warmth. I groggily opened my eyes. Adonis was lying next to me,
his eyes open as he pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

Weird, but he tasted different than before. His mouth was too hot, almost scorching. I tried to pull
back, but he held me there. I beat against his chest, but he was too strong, and then he grabbed my
wrists and pinned me against the bed.

His face morphed into Thanatus’s.

“You have failed,” he sneered, sniffing my hair. “You will be mine.”

“Never,” I vowed.

He chuckled, his teeth grazing my cheek. He bit my lip and licked my blood. His eyes rolled to the
back of his head. “Come with me, or I’ll kill you.”

“I’d rather die.”

“That, my dear, can be arranged.”

“They’ll come for me,” I spat.

“My dear…” Thanatus drew out a dagger and held it close to my throat. “That is what we are
counting on.”

Uprising

Chapter Twenty-Three

Adonis

I knew something was wrong the minute I didn’t hear Athena snoring. I would never say it to her face,
for fear she would impale me on the end of her favorite dagger, but she always snored.

Every night.

I used to stuff a pillow over her face. It never made sense to me that she would snore when she didn’t
even need to breathe. Obviously, it was just more of her humanness trying to break through. It irritated
me that the only time it would choose to show itself would be when I was also trying to get some
sleep.

With a sigh, I rose from the couch and went to her door. I knocked twice and waited. No answer.

I knocked again. Panic slowly rose in my chest. There was no way something was wrong. I’d been on
the couch the entire time.

“Athena.” I pounded the door.

I tried the doorknob, but it was locked. With a little push the door flew off the hinges. Her bed was
empty. I knet down and noticed her dagger on the floor. She would have never left it behind. The last
time she’d forgotten it, she’d made me drive three hours back to Headquarters to find it.

Once, Apollo had stolen the dagger as a joke. Well, the joke had been on him. He’d walked around
with a bruise under his eye for two weeks.

Sickness threatened to take over as I closed my eyes and breathed in the scent of the room.

Sulfur.

It smelled like death.

Thanatus.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Michael’s number.

He answered on the first ring.

“Yes.”

“She’s gone.”

He sighed heavily into the phone. “How long?”

I smelled the room and looked at the clock by her bed. “Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes.”

Michael said something in his ancient tongue then barked orders. “Meet back at Headquarters in ten
minutes. We’ll have everyone assembled by then. Bring any evidence.”

“Where would they go?” I asked.

“The only place Azazeel has power.”

Dread shot straight to my chest. “Sheol.”

“We’ll talk about this later.” The phone line went dead.

I grabbed my keys, threw a shirt over my head, and ran for the door. Around Athena, I had always had
to dumb my powers down. I couldn’t appear too smart or too serious. Now, with her gone, I could use
the full range given me by El. In an instant, I was by the pier and boarding the elevator.

Two Seekers came in behind me — Apollo and Ares. We’d never been great friends. All of us had
our jobs, and it had been clear to all Seekers I was above them in every way. The angels still had a
hierarchy, and though I reported to them, technically Seekers reported to my kind.

Apollo was still young for a Seeker; he grinned like a fool and began whistling. Ares, however, had
seen his fair share of war. His clothing was still tattered from whatever battle he had just fought. He
shook his head and looked at me.

“I am sorry she has disappeared. We will find her, brother.”

Emotion welled in my chest. I hadn’t been accepted for a very long time. I nodded and braced my arm
with his. The doors opened to Headquarters. Janus looked us over and gave each of us a piece of
paper. We moved toward the main entrance, where everyone should be waiting.

Because Athena knew my secret, I was able to be in my normal form, the one that looked a lot like the
archangels. I licked my lips and entered, knowing full well this was the moment everything would
change.

Some of the Seekers gasped, and the older ones nodded knowingly. In the corner I saw Atlas and
Seth, shifting on uneasy feet as they took in the view.

“Seth.” I grasped his hand. He seemed irritated. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m not. Why are we sitting around waiting, when we could be out there grabbing Thena?”

Jealousy poured through me. I hated that part of my emotions, but I kept myself in check. I knew Seth
liked Athena, possibly loved her. How could he not? But she was mine. Mine to protect, mine to love.
I gripped his hand hard and nodded. “We will find her.”

Atlas jerked his head to the center of the room. The heavenly horns sounded, and again, the three
archangels appeared.

Righteous pride surged through me as the three beings took their stance in front of the Seekers.

Michael spoke first. “Athena has been taken by Thanatus. We know not if she is with Azazeel, or if
Thanatus works alone. We believe this to be his signal for war.”

Grumbling was heard among the Seekers.

“Quiet,” Gabriel shouted.

Everyone froze. When Gabriel spoke, we listened. He was, after all, a mouthpiece of El. “We will
fight to the death in the service of El and in the service of an innocent.”

“We will fight with El,” the Seekers said in unison, hitting their arms against their armor.

Gabriel cleared his throat and paced in front of Michael. “I need the scouts sent out immediately. Our
sources say…”

“Pardon,” a low voice interrupted Gabriel’s speech. “I believe I’ve been invited to a meeting of
sorts.”

I could have sworn I heard people hiss. I jerked my head in the direction of the speaker, and my
mouth dropped open in disbelief.

“Alexander King.” Michael stepped forward and shook his hand. “Good of you to come.”

The vampire shook his head. “Like I had a choice.”

“Are your people assembled?”

Alexander nodded. “Every last one.”

“Vampires?” Atlas said loudly. “They fight with us?”

Alexander rolled his eyes. “Listen, half-breed¯”

I choked on my laugh.

Alexander noticed, and his eyes crinkled. “We are just as much a race of people as you are. We are
not Phantoms, nor do we align ourselves with such. We are very much alive, very useful, and if you
knew anything of the world, you would also know not everything is as it seems.”

Alexander’s blue eyes flashed twice before returning to mine. “A Zar? Impressive.”

“Not as impressive as seeing a living, breathing Twelve, I assure you,” I answered appreciatively.

The Kings and their people, the Twelve, were a known hybrid race, much like my own people. When
they’d given into their darkest desires, they’d turned into Phantoms, for they had angel blood running
through their veins as well. They had dominion over the humans and lived in peace with them, only
interfering when a new medicine or technological breakthrough was needed. Any sort of invention
that humans boasted about was simply the Twelve, throwing them a bone.

Because of their blood-reading abilities, they were given a bad rap, but we all knew they were like
us. The perfect mixture of good and bad. Any one of us could fall, and the Seekers knew that. They
feared what they could become, so they feared what they could not understand. The truth of it was we
needed all the help we could get.

As if reading my thoughts, Alexander stepped back and joined by my side.

Michael nodded to Gabriel. Clearing his throat for the second time, Gabriel continued talking. “As I
was saying, we have combined forces with a few…” Gabriel looked like he was searching for
words. “… unique breeds.”

“I think he almost choked on that word,” Alexander said next to me.

I stifled a laugh.

“And these unique breeds,” Gabriel continued, “are not used to working with Seekers, so please be
patient. We will meet at the destination point in the next three hours. Please take your assigned
transportation seriously. Everything must be in place. You are dismissed.”

I looked down at my paper and fought the urge to swear as writing appeared across it in golden
letters. Fly.

“What?” Alexander looked at my paper. “Hate flying, do you?”

Seth walked up to us and smiled. “Last time we nearly crashed.”

“Empusa made things interesting,” Atlas chimed in and reached for Alexander’s hand to introduce
himself.

Alexander’s gaze flickered to his piece of paper. “It appears I’ll be joining you.”

I nodded. “Just how many of your people are helping us?”

Alexander looked down at the ground, almost as if he was uncertain or nervous. “All of them.”

“I’m sorry, did you say all?”

Alexander’s head snapped up. “Yes, all. As in, if we fail, an entire race of people will fall.”

I looked Alexander straight in the eyes. “We will not fail.”

Atlas slapped my back. I almost felt like I was in the middle of a football game huddle. You know, if
football players were twelve feet tall and a mix of angel and alien races.

I stuffed the piece of paper into my pocket, not wanting to deal with my travel just yet. I set out to find
Michael.

“I’ll meet you guys at the flight.” I didn’t make eye contact with anyone as I walked toward the main
chambers, where Michael usually resided when he was at Headquarters.

My fist clenched at my side as I readied myself for battle. Michael wouldn’t want to tell me any
information, but I needed to know what he knew. I couldn’t keep Athena from harm if I wasn’t privy
to the knowledge he had. I raised my hand and banged on the door.

It opened swiftly. Nerves took hold as I stepped into the large room and waited. Michael’s chair
turned. His eyes blazed white, giving me a clue that he had just been speaking with El. And I, being
impatient, decided to interrupt. Great.

****

Flute-like music filled the room as Michael rose from his chair and slowly approached me, his eyes
turning from blazing white down to a more normal blue.

“Sit,” Michael ordered.

I sat on the nearest chair and leaned forward, resting my head against my hands as my elbows poked
into my legs. “What do you know?”

Michael sighed. I could see the weariness in his eyes as his gaze flickered from mine to the table and
back again. “Not much.”

“Tell me.”

“My, my, you’ve gotten brave in the past twenty-four hours.”

“I love her.”

“As do I.” Michael’s eyes never left mine.

I shook my head. “Not the way I do.”

At that, Michael chuckled. “I should hope not.”

My teeth clenched. “If I don’t know what you know, how can I help her? How can I save her?”

“Who says you will be the one doing the saving?”

Enraged, I stood up and paced in front of him. “It is my job. It is my fault that she was taken in the first

place. I fell asleep and…”

“No,” Michael said smoothly. “It happened just as we predicted.”

I froze. “Excuse me?”

Michael sighed. “We did not think it would happen so soon, nor were we aware of the extent of
Thanatus’s power, but it was assumed that since he was a dream-walker, he could enter through her
sleep and take her.”

“And you didn’t tell me because…?”

“She’s safest where she is.”

I bit my lip to keep from cursing in the presence of one of the archangels “She’s safer in Sheol? Than
in my arms?”

Michaels gaze hardened. “You tell me.”

I looked down at the floor. “Nothing happened.”

“Yet,” he said quietly. “She must have the freedom to choose, if, in fact, you are what she chooses.”

Now? He was bringing this up now? I wanted to punch something as adrenaline pumped through my
system. “I would never do something irrevocable.”

Michael leaned forward “When El made your race, he made you special, unique. You feel everything,
good and bad. You can control the emotions of those around you, but at the same time, you possess the
emotions of those near you. You know as well as I that the minute she professed similar feelings for
you, it was the hardest thing you’ve ever done in your existence — leaving her in that room.”

“How did you even know?” I sputtered.

“I know you.”

Unfortunately, he had me there. “Nothing happened.”

“I know. And again, I imagine that when the time comes for her to choose, she will of course decide
to be with you. But until that choice is made, she isn’t yours to possess, Adonis.”

I closed my eyes, and fear clenched my chest. I hated that he was right. I wanted her more than
anything in my existence. Leaving her had been difficult. Several times I’d walked back to her door
only to curse myself and go back to the couch. It was never easy with our race. We felt everything. I’d
heard her soft breath escape her lips when she’d drifted off to sleep. I could still taste her tongue on
my lips, and every time she’d twisted and turned in that bed I’d felt as if I was there, feeling her body
pressed against mine.

Michael chuckled. “It seems I’ve made my point.”

“Fine,” I said through clenched teeth. “I still want to be in charge of extracting her from the situation.”

“No.”

“No!” I roared. I’d never raised my voice at Michael before; I think he was just as shocked as me. He
leaned back in the chair, his eyes wide with amusement.

“And now you see why. Your emotions blind you.”

“I am perfectly fine.”

Michael rose from his seat and approached me. “You will put yourself, as well as the woman you
love, in grave danger, if you are the one to make the extraction. I’ll allow you to accompany the
teams. After all, she will want to see you after her experience in Sheol, but I am sending another into
the Darkness.”

I almost didn’t want to know. I swallowed my bitterness before asking, “Who?”

“Seth.”

“He’s Fallen,” I stated dumbly.

“He is,” Michael agreed. “He’s also very powerful and very much needs to be needed. I believe this
will be a good task for him. He has been in this human form for a very long time, experienced things
that no angel should ever have to experience. He is cursed with the life of a half-breed, but he is also
the only one we can send in who will not be affected by the dark.”

“But he is affected.” I clenched my fist again and rolled my eyes. “You should have seen him on
Denali! He almost killed her!”

“That was the influence of Thanatus. Seth was confused, and he is much stronger now that he knows
who he is.”

“Oh, great.” I let out a bitter laugh. “So now that he’s found himself, you think you can trust him?”

“I know I can trust him.”

“And if he falls prey to Thanatus again?”

“He won’t.”

Michael seemed so certain. I wanted to cause him physical harm, which was a little amusing,
considering he’d kill me in an instant. I paced in front of him, clenching and unclenching my fists in
turn at my sides. “I don’t like it.”

“Hmm…” Michael grabbed me by the shoulders and turned me toward him. “What are you so afraid
of?”

Losing her. Losing her to him. Now that he was Fallen, he was cursed with being partially human; he
was just like a Nephilim, only he had cooler party tricks than the Seekers and black wings to show off
when he wanted pity from the opposite sex.

Michael studied me for a minute. “I see.”

“I know.” I shook my head. “I’m sorry. And you’re right.”

“I know.”

“You don’t have to be so smug about it.” I folded my arms across my chest and exhaled loudly. “I’m
blinded by her.”

“It will be better this way, you’ll see.” Michael walked me to the door. “Prepare yourself as you
must, Adonis. This battle will not be a pleasant one.”

“How many?” I paused at the door, my back facing Michael.

“At least a hundred thousand, maybe more.”

“I’ll be ready.”

“See that you are,” he called out as the door shut behind me. I walked purposefully toward the main
hallway and elevator, where Janus stood waiting. I would be ready and I wouldn’t let her down.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The wet Seattle air whipped at the back of my neck as I walked toward the private jet. Most of the
Seekers were traveling by plane, though some of them were actually lucky enough to be taking the
train. We all had different arrival times to not raise suspicion.

I preferred driving or maybe even walking. Being confined in a small space with Seth, Atlas, and
Alexander was not what I would call fun. For one thing, I had to sit there and pretend to like Seth,
when really all I wanted to do was rip his face off, considering he had a thing for Athena.

He thought he hid it well.

He didn’t.

In fact, it was so irritating I had trouble looking at him at all. Just imagining Seth’s hands anywhere
near her body filled me with rage, reminding me again that my emotions were quickly taking over my
common sense and logic.

Atlas wasn’t so bad, except he was just as good looking as Seth and already admitted to liking
Athena. So what? I wanted to kill every being who even looked at her. Clearly, I was exhausted and
needed to take some time away from the job. But time was not on my side.

Alexander wasn’t too bad, except for the fact that he drank blood in order to gain information from
people. It also didn’t help that his race, the Twelve, were easily the most arrogant of El’s creations.
They had enough problems of their own, so it really was shocking to see them involving themselves in
our business. After all, Alexander was only weeks away from taking the throne and trying to restore
peace to the original Twelve.

As if he heard me, Alexander smirked in my direction, his blue eyes mocking me as he pushed his
long dark hair away from his face.

“Ready?” Atlas called back. Why was I cursed to have to fly in a plane twice in one week with the
man?

“You plan on crashing us into a mountain this time?” I called to him as I climbed into the small plane.

Atlas grinned and shrugged. “I sure hope not.”

“Good. That’s what I want to hear when I’m climbing onto a plane.”

Seth laughed behind me. We each took our seats. Unfortunately mine was next to Seth’s. I took small

even breaths as the plane taxied.

Atlas called back to us over the roar of the twin engines. “Everyone put on the headphones so we can
communicate.”

I put the headphones on and heard Atlas’s voice loud and clear. “Alright, guys, we should be near
Sheol in about an hour, if not sooner.”

“Great,” I mumbled into the mouthpiece. I popped my knuckles and waited as the plane took off and
began its ascent into the Puget Sound air.

“So,” Seth called into the headphones “Anyone ever been to the San Juan Islands?”

Nobody answered.

Seth laughed. “Wow, well, you’re in for a treat.”

“It’s beautiful,” Alexander piped up. “Though aren’t the most beautiful of El’s creations sometimes
the most dangerous?”

“What do you mean?” Curiosity got the best of me.

Alexander chuckled. “Take, for example, Lucifer. Was he not the most beautifully regarded angel
until pride took him? Do his followers not masquerade as something lovely and perfect, when inside
they are black as night?”

Seth shifted next to me. Good. He was uncomfortable. A part of me wanted him to be reminded of
what he was. Fallen.

“Yeah, so?” I said.

Alexander laughed loudly into the mouthpiece, nearly making my ears hurt. “You truly do not get it, do
you?”

“Apparently not.”

“Sheol is beauty.”

I mulled this around for a bit. I guess I was expecting Sheol to look a lot like Hell or Purgatory. I was
prepared for horror, not beauty.

As if reading my thoughts, Alexander said, “So now you understand the danger. For when you run into
battle, you expect the worst. You expect bloodshed, torture, evil. But I promise you — the minute you
walk into Sheol, you will never want to leave.”

“And that makes it dangerous,” I said aloud.

“It makes it the most dangerous place for our kind to go.” Alexander nearly whispered this time. “For
it masquerades as Eden.”

“Wait.” I gripped the seat with my hands. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Alexander cursed into the microphone. “The second Eden, the one created for the angels and other
worldly beings in the beginning? It is located beneath the surface of The San Juan Islands. Once upon
a time, the Islands were a large land mass. When humans fell, it too fell into the ocean as a symbol of
the great separation of the human and spiritual realm. Lucifer has taken it over along with Azazeel and
the others.”

“Do the magical properties, those of the spirit world, still hold strong in Sheol?” I asked.

“Yes. They do.”

“Great.” That’s just great. I glared at Seth. It wasn’t his fault, but he was the one going in while we
fought the rest of the armies that were sure to be surrounding the premises. We were the distraction,
while he made the extraction, and I was sending him directly into a paradise every fallen angel and
Seeker could only dream about. Granted, it wasn’t reality, but still. I was worried that Seth wouldn’t
be strong enough to do it. Not when Sheol would promise to restore everything he’d lost — his
spiritual state.

****

The plane landed. My stomach plummeted as we skidded across the short runway. I was half-tempted
to clap, considering last time we’d almost been plastered across the side of Mt. McKinley.

“Good work, Atlas.” I threw off the headphones and slapped him on the back. After Alexander’s little
admission, none of us spoke. It was as if the fear of what we were facing kept us from actually talking
any more about it. I knew the more I thought about it, the harder it became to control my emotions. So
I said nothing.

Everyone piled out of the plane.

Seth stayed back. “I’ll find her, Adonis. I swear.”

I looked away, my jaw clenching. “See that you do.”

“Wait.” Seth grabbed my shoulder. I jerked away from his touch and glared at him. “I know you don’t
like me.”

“Brilliant conclusion,” I spat.

Seth narrowed his eyes. “Just because you aren’t Fallen doesn’t mean you can treat me the way you
do, you know that, right?”

I shrugged.

“Look.” Seth ran his hands through his hair. “I care about her too. I want to see her safe. I wouldn’t do
anything to hurt her. What happened before… ”He shook his head. “It would never happen again. You
have to believe me. My only focus is to get Athena back to us safely.”

“And your personal feelings?” I challenged, crossing my arms.

Seth swallowed, his eyes darting to the ground. “I’m Fallen.”

“We’ve established that.”

“She and I…” Seth shook his head. “No matter how much I wish it, we could never be. I know where
her loyalty lies.”

“Good, then I won’t kill you when you bring her back.”

“Wow, how very gracious of you, Zar.”

My fist clenched. I hated it when he called me Zar. It wasn’t that I was embarrassed of my race, quite
the opposite, but the way it flowed from his lips made it sound like a curse, rather than an honor, and I
despised him for it.

“You lovers ready yet?” Atlas called to us from the edge of the Fjord. It ran through the middle of the
island, separating Skull Island from Massacre Island, which, truthfully, sounded about right.

“Coming,” I called back to him and gave one last glare to Seth. Alexander was already ahead of us,
near Atlas.

“So, where do we rendezvous?” I asked, looking around. Everything was quiet. Orcas Island was the
largest of the San Juans. It was fascinating and sparsely populated. It was so late in the evening or
early morning that it was still dark. Nobody would see us, which was a plus.

“Down.” Atlas pointed. Did the guy ever get tired of knowing so much information? He truly knew
every piece of land in the known universe, as if he had memorized it. But we all knew it was part of
his gift. I think having that much knowledge would drive me crazy.

The fact that he said down almost made me smile, almost. No doubt Athena would have had some
sarcastic remark about having to go down all the time. I swallowed the emotion in my throat and
looked to where Atlas pointed.

Near the side of the Fjord was a large cave-like hole that seemed to plunge into the earth, though no
water went inside it.

“We jump?” Alexander asked, looking a little hesitant.

“No, we fly.” Atlas rolled his eyes. “Yes, you jump, but nothing to worry about. There should be
something to catch you when you fall.”

“Should be, being the key words here,” I added, stepping ahead of everyone. “Alright, I’m going in.”

I jumped. My stomach plunged as air whooshed by my ears. It felt like I was dropping hundreds of
feet per minute, which was, of course, impossible. My eyes were unable to adjust to anything; it was
pitch black. As I fell deeper and deeper into the hole, my speed slowed down, and then I was floating
downward. Instead of getting colder, the air turned thick and humid. Water droplets formed on my
face and floated in front of me. I was able to see the reflection of the water in the darkness but nothing
else. I saw a flicker of light below me. Then another and another.

More water. Great. Trapped between two large bodies of water. How wonderful. I closed my eyes as
I fell into the crystal blue water. Some of it got into my mouth. It tasted like honey.

I opened my eyes and would have shouted, but words weren’t forming fast enough. My eyes could not
keep up with my head. Instead I stared slack-jawed around me.

It was perfect.

I was in a small pond near a large rainforest, one that had giant trees and sparkling leaves. I shook my
head in disbelief. Atlas crashed down next to me, splashing water everywhere. Seth and Alexander
soon followed.

“Whoa.” This from Alexander.

“Not what I expected at all,” confirmed Atlas. “How very interesting.”

We waded out of the water and walked to the shore. And that’s when we saw them.

The rest of the Seekers filled the forest, as well as some angels I had never seen before. At least I
assumed they were angels. Several wings covered eyes on their faces. Other wings kept them floating
in the air, as if they were on a cloud. The closest thing I could compare them to was some sort of
weird, white monster. Only they were beautiful, not at all scary or ugly.

“Took you long enough,” Ares said, stepping forward.

“He flew.” I pointed to Atlas. Ares laughed and helped us to the beach. Everyone was ready for
battle. My stomach plummeted.

“What now?” I asked, looking around. There didn’t seem to be any sort of threat, but I was starting to
realize I didn’t really know as much as I thought I did.

“Below,” Ares answered. “We stay here until Michael blows the horn.”

“And Seth?” I nodded toward him and pulled on a piece of armor that Apollo had handed me.

Ares nodded. “Seth goes alone.”

“I know.” Did everyone doubt my self-control?

“I’m ready.” Seth stepped forward. His face contorted with a serious expression only seen when he
was restored to his original state.

“Come.” Ares held out his hand. “I can take you as far as the gate, and then you must travel on your
own.”

I watched as Ares and Seth disappeared. My thoughts jumbled with rage, confusion, and panic. I
wanted to be near Athena. If I closed my eyes, I could almost feel her presence, feel her close.

“She will be fine.” Atlas placed his hand on my shoulder. “Besides, there will be many more battles,
just as this one. The only goal is to retrieve her and leave this place without losing any of our own.”

“That’s what worries me.” I scratched my head. “Why go to all this trouble to bring us down here?
Why not fight out in the open as usual? Why bring us to Sheol?”

A loud crack was heard, and then Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel were in front of us. Everyone
bowed and waited.

Michael spoke first. “If they cannot have the Titans, they want every last Seeker. That is why you are
here.” He paced in front of everyone. “This battle will not be what you are used to. Be sharp, but
most of all be wise. The Phantoms will promise you everything, if only you will join their side. At
this point, they are weak. We have the Titans under control. Thanks to Alexander, we have the
Twelve, and at this very moment one of my brothers is talking to some of the Fallen who have yet to
choose sides. Without the power of a half-breed, they will not win.”

“It seems to me we’ve played right into their hands then,” I said boldly. “We have every last Seeker
and Twelve with us. What happens when one of us is too weak to fight anymore? What happens when
the offer is too sweet to resist?”

Michael nodded his head. A smile broke across his face. He turned to face the crowd. “El has
decided to again give you a choice.”

I clenched my sword in hand.

“Many of you have been fighting for duty and honor, not love. El desires it all. He wants you to fight
not because you merely choose it, but because you cannot help but serve the One who so graciously
allowed you to live, despite what you were born into. So, when each of you faces a Phantom who
offers you your heart’s desires, El has asked one thing. Choose Him. Choose Him, and it will be as if
a blade is fighting a flower. They will not stand a chance, but El will also not stand in your way
should you choose to leave.”

Sometimes I hated the way El worked. In a perfect world it made sense. But what if everyone left?
What if half the Seekers chose wrong?

“What if, what if, what if…” Gabriel said next to me. My head jerked up. He smirked. “Adonis, you
will tire yourself before the battle even starts.”

He placed a large hand on my shoulder. “There will always be what ifs in your life. But, brother, you
are asking the wrong question.”

“And what is the right one?”

“Oh, it is the same.” Gabriel chuckled. “You are merely missing the most important part.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “Which is?”

“What if El…” Gabriel’s eyes blazed white for an instant then went back to violet. “What if He is
who He says He is? What if He does what He says He does? What if His promises are true? What if
He is right? What if you are wrong? What if El… That is your question, my brother, and in that
question, you also find your answer.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Seth

“Tell me this is a joke.” I looked at the space again and then back at Ares.

He shrugged. “I never joke.”

That I knew, but I was hoping for once I was wrong. I was hoping in vain this would be less
complicated than it actually was. It would be different if I had my original powers, but now I felt very
much like a fly going into the spider’s web.

“Once you reach the crossroads of Taenarum, you will follow the trail until it forks at the bottom. Go
to the right, not the left. The trail to the right will lead you to the River of Souls. Once you cross the
River of Souls, you will see the prison where they keep our kind. Athena should be there in captivity.
She will be unharmed, for she is of more use to them alive. But you will have to create an enticement
as well as a shield, in order to appear not as Seth but someone else entirely. Can you do that?”

“Yes.” I nodded. I had no other option. If I said no, Athena would die, and if she died, a part of me
would too. The good part. The part that thirsted for the Light she exuded. I was fearful of what would
happen when the Light was snuffed away from me. Succumbing to the Darkness was not an option.

“May El be with you.” Ares gave me a curt nod and walked back toward the shore. I looked down at
the cave below me. Large gray rocks trickled at the opening. I lit a torch and began my descent. Bats
flew out, nearly knocking my torch to the ground. I hated bats.

Clenching my teeth, I moved forward. Within minutes I was at the crossroads of Taenarum. It was the
opening to another cave. I looked to the left. It was the only way that had light, as well as a smell so
sweet my feet moved of their own accord toward what I wanted most: to be away from this place, to
be in comfort.

I stopped. Remember Ares’s words.

I was supposed to go right.

I looked right.

Hell. It looked exactly like Hell. Fire licked off the sides of the walls, threatening to burn everything
and anything in its path.

The ground was lined with glowing red coals. I looked back to the left and had to stifle a laugh. It

was one of those laughs you get when you’re about to do something really stupid. It did not do the
trick of breaking the tension and stress I felt. I trudged forward, taking one step onto the coal.

It burned my foot, but the pain wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I knew my body would quickly
heal, but that didn’t make the pain any less intense. In order to save my energy as well as my power, I
refused to heal myself as I continued across the coals. I felt my skin begin to melt into my thick leather
boots. I clenched my teeth and moved forward.

Sweat trickled down my cheek as I turned the corner. Fire licked off the side of the wall, and I wasn’t
able to duck in time. It exploded across my face. I could feel blood dripping off my chin. I closed my
eyes for a brief second; the pain made me want to pass out. Instead, I said El’s name and pressed
forward.

As I rounded another corner, a river met me. The River of Souls. What I wouldn’t do for it to be a
real river I could jump into to cease the burning of my flesh.

Blue and white fire steamed off the river as people lifted their hands out of the water into the air and
fell back again only to tumble into the crowd of souls.

I’d seen a lot of messed-up stuff in all my years of living. I used to be an Original, after all. I was
Uriel; I was an archangel. Though in my current state, El had blocked the memories from my human
consciousness. I thought it a kindness. To remember such things would be nothing but cruel. For a
human to remember perfection would drive them insane. And as a Fallen, my curse was to be part
human.

I sighed and looked at the souls, each of them reaching for something they would never get. That was
the big lie of Azazeel. People would swear their souls to him, usually in hopes of fame or fortune, and
in return, he would hold their souls captive until their deaths. When they died, they lived this life for
eternity. Azazeel would promise freedom if only they could reach their bodies from the river into the
air. He promised everything to them, but it was never accomplished. So they went around and around
below the earth, lost in a state of never being able to escape the imprisonment of their own doing.

A boat was near the edge of the river’s shore. I jumped into it and carefully rowed myself across the
two hundred-foot spans. No souls tried to grab onto the boat. Sadly, it was the one thing they couldn’t
see. It also kept them from escaping. I wondered if they would be able to escape if they could see it,
but I wasn’t here to help them. I was here to save a girl I had come to love.

I cursed aloud and continued rowing. Adonis would kill me if he heard me say that aloud. Atlas and
Alexander would probably help him. It wasn’t as if I was his favorite person. Not that it was totally
my fault. Thanatus had a lot to do with that, but I didn’t stop him when I should have.

The paddle hit the opposite edge of the shore. I tied up the boat and hopped out. This was where I
was supposed to morph into some sort of creature and look nonchalant as I waltzed into the prison
and stole Athena.

Right.

I searched my mind for a disguise that would work. Quickly, I ran my hands over my cuts and burns,
healing them and disguising myself at the same time.

I decided to change into a forgettable Phantom. It would be typical to see a Phantom down here, and I
could pretend to be infatuated with Athena, which would take next to no acting on my part.

I walked quickly down the steps to the prison. Once I reached the opening of the cave, it spread into a
tavern holding thousands upon thousands of prison cells lining the walls of the cave.

“Who are you?” A Phantom stepped in front of me, gripping his black sword.

“Nice sword.” I pointed. “That new?”

“You lost?” The Phantom growled.

“I’m found.” I laughed at my double meaning and pulled out my sword. I had made it black to match
his. I quickly searched his mind, using my old power to find his weakness. It just so happened to be
weaponry.

“Thanatus just gave me this for helping him steal Athena.”

The Phantom’s eyes narrowed, then he took in the sword. I had etched in the name of Thanatus as well
as a few other fun inscriptions that looked to be in the angelic tongue, when really they were
gibberish.

“He rewarded you?”

I nodded. “And he has decided to reward you as well.”

The Phantom’s chest puffed out. “Is he to visit us? Here?”

Time for nothing. I quickly morphed into what I remembered Thanatus looking like. “I already am.”

“My lord.” The Phantom fell to his knees. “I’m not worthy.”

“No,” I said coolly. “You are not. Yet I find myself impressed with your ability to guard the
prisoners. Now, run along and give me a few minutes alone with the girl. We have business to attend
to.”

“My lord?” The Phantom looked skeptical, probably because Thanatus never visited the lower
prisons. He found it beneath him, literally.

“Are you questioning me?” I pulled him to his feet and threw him against the wall as hard as I could.
His head cracked against the cold stone, which gained the attention of several prisoners.

“No, no, my lord.” The Phantom skittered to his feet and practically ran out of the large room.

I closed my eyes and waited.

Athena’s smell. I would be able to smell her anywhere. She smelled like vanilla and sunshine, like
the perfect mix of human and angel. Sweet but made of the earth.

She was close.

I followed the scent; her cell was near the entrance of the prison. I stopped in front of the cell and
peered in. She was sitting quietly in the corner, her head on her knees, her hands folded around
herself as if she was trying to protect something very valuable.

“Athena,” I said quietly. I allowed my face to morph back into what she was used to.

Her head jerked up.

“Seth?”

I nodded. “We don’t have much time. Are you hurt?”

She shook her head, a solitary tear running down her cheek. My heart clenched in my chest as I
watched her push up onto wobbly legs and walk toward me.

“Have they starved you?”

Her voice was hoarse when she answered, “No food and water, and they took…” Her lip quivered.
“They drained some of my blood.”

Rage engulfed me as I gripped the bars of the prison. They meant to weaken her so she couldn’t
escape. With a roar I lifted the door to her cell straight from its hinges.

“Come.” I held out my hand. Her dirty hand took it.

“You must trust me,” I said quietly as we walked toward the entrance. Several prisoners eyed us
skeptically, but nobody said anything. It also helped that I had transformed my face back to Thanatus.
They would never challenge him or any other being that had put them there.

As we came back to the river, the Phantom walked around the corner.

“What are you doing?” He approached us, hand on sword. “Azazeel has given no orders to take the
prisoner.”

“Do I look like I care?” I answered with a laugh. “I only mean to have a little fun with her. I swear
I’ll bring her back once I’m finished.”

“Fun?” The Phantom asked, clearly confused. Idiot.

“Yes.” I purred close to Athena’s ear. “Fun.” I kissed her neck and pulled her against me, meeting her

lips and hating that it wasn’t real. Hating that I actually liked it. Both revulsion and fascination surged
through me. I hadn’t known as a Fallen I could still feel this connection to someone, someone such as
she.

With a moan I pulled back and grinned at the Phantom. “See what I mean?”

“Are you sharing?” The Phantom leaned toward Athena. I could see violet flash through her eyes. She
was ready to kill him.

“No.” I pulled her closer to me. “She only has eyes for me, don’t you, my love?”

She nodded her head and pulled my face down to hers, meeting my lips with such aggression I forgot
all about the reason behind our little charade.

“Fine.” The Phantom walked off, leaving us near the boat.

When I knew it was safe, I changed back to my normal appearance. “Get in.”

Athena jumped into the boat and grabbed the other oar. Her face looked flushed; her eyes still a
brilliant violet. I couldn’t figure out if she was mad at the Phantom or mad at me for what I’d done.

“It was necessary,” I said, staring into her eyes, trying to gauge her reaction.

“I know,” she answered quickly, her eyes blazing violet once more.

“We have to walk through fire to get back to the others.”

She nodded, her head weak from exhaustion.

I stopped the boat on the other side and gathered her into my arms to take her to where the fire waited
for us, back up to the cave’s entrance.

Athena fell against my side, her head heavy against me. She wouldn’t make it. There was no way she
would make it through the fire without dying. When humans were stripped of blood they became
weak. Add that in with angels and their need for angelic blood in order for them to protect their
human body, and you had one giant problem.

I held her against the wall and searched my mind for an answer.

If we didn’t get out of there immediately, they would come for us and kill us. If I took her through the
fire, she would die.

Either way, we died.

Unless I figured something out, I would fail.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Adonis

“Perfect,” I mumbled as the sky darkened. Thousands of flickers of orange light rained down on the
perfect landscape.

“I’ve been waiting to kill some Phantoms.” Atlas grinned next to me. I couldn’t help but grin back.
The Twelve had joined us a few hours ago and were now assembling in front of the Seekers. They
were in less danger of getting pulled to the side of the Phantoms because they were a lot like me, a
different race, not a mix.

I waited as the first few Phantoms landed in front of us.

This is what I hated about fighting them. They never looked like they should. Several of them had
heads of beasts but bodies of men and women, and then just as they picked up a sword, they would
turn into beautiful children, and you’d wonder why you were holding a child at the point of your
sword.

I lunged into the first Phantom before he could change. Atlas roared behind me as he took out three
more. They were coming in fast, too fast. I raised my sword above my head and sliced through two
more Phantoms, cutting them in half.

They squealed in terror as their bodies bled dry and disappeared into the ground. From dust to dust.

Another thousand landed next to us. I could hear Ares’s war cry, and then an arrow flew dangerously
close to my ear, hitting a Phantom between the eyes.

“Thanks,” I yelled back.

Ares plunged another arrow into someone near me. “No problem.”

With a cry, I lunged for five more. Each of them had enough time to transform. Their faces morphed
into young women. I closed my eyes as I killed them.

They kept landing, and we kept killing and fighting. I heard Atlas yell, so I ran in the direction I’d last
seen him.

Several Phantoms circled him, all in the form of little boys. I knew why he couldn’t kill them. They
had his face. He was killing himself, and I knew his insecurities were pouring forth.

“Atlas,” I said steadying my voice. “It isn’t real.”

“Don’t kill us!” they screamed. “We’re innocent! Take us with you, please!”

“Atlas,” I warned again through clenched teeth. “You must kill them, now.”

One of the Phantoms grew back to normal size, his face contorting into that of Cronus; he dropped his
sword. “If you surrender, I will free your father.”

“You don’t have the power,” Atlas spat.

“Oh, but Lucifer does. It will be like nothing.” The Phantom snapped his finger. “A life for a life.
What do you say?” The Phantom’s head snapped back; his eyes glazed over, and suddenly it was as if
Cronus was talking, not the Phantom. “Son, I love you. Save me, son, save me.”

“Atlas, no,” I shouted above the battle cry.

Atlas locked eyes with mine and then closed them as he plunged his sword into the Phantom’s heart.

I made quick work of decapitating the rest that surrounding him.

“Are you okay?” I asked once I reached him.

Sweat poured from his brow as he leaned over and nodded.

“Are you going to be sick?” I smashed the head of another Phantom as he approached us.

“Most likely.” Atlas heaved and then grabbed his sword. “All better. Let’s go.”

Three hours later, and none of the Seekers or Twelve had fallen. Michael fought with his brothers at
the forefront; we moved our forces forward. Thousands of Phantoms had already died.

Apollo and Narcissus, both young and naïve, charged forward without Michael’s command and found
themselves surrounded by a swarm of Phantoms that looked a lot like supermodels.

Great. That was just what we needed.

Atlas and I fought through the Phantoms to get to Apollo and Narcissus. Apollo was fighting with all
he had in him, sweat pouring from his face as he continued killing the Phantoms as if he didn’t even
know they were attractive females.

But Narcissus was frozen, his sword by his side. I yelled for him to fight, but he did nothing. He was
staring at the water, a Phantom near him whispering in his ear.

“Don’t listen,” I yelled above the roar of the fighting. “Narcissus, don’t!”

His head jerked up. With a wicked grin he reached out and touched the water and then looked back at

the Phantom. The woman touched his lips and giggled, putting her arm around his body.

“Atlas,” I ground out. “We have to get to him. Now!”

It was too late. The minute my gaze returned to Narcissus, he was in the sky with a thousand Phantoms
flying back to where they came from.

It made the battle easier, and in that moment I realized what Michael had truly meant. They weren’t
here to destroy from the outside. They wanted to destroy from within. A half-breed on their side, one
that had fought as a Seeker for as long as Narcissus had, would be like a thousand Phantoms.

I cringed, thinking of the power they’d just gained over us.

I continued fighting as I watched the Phantoms’ numbers dwindle. Aphrodite made her way through
the Phantoms, her hair in a tangled mess as it ran down her back. “Help me, Adonis. I need help.”

I grabbed her arm and noticed blood, staining my hand. “Where are you hurt?”

Her eyes flickered down to her stomach. I gasped. She was in no condition to be fighting. I couldn’t
heal her. Seth could. But he wasn’t here.

The fighting continued as my eyes searched for Raphael. He could heal her. At the moment, he was
fighting about a hundred Phantoms. I needed to get his attention without getting him killed.

“Aphrodite, stay here.” I hid her beneath a tree and prayed she would still be alive when I got back.

It took me minutes to reach Raphael, and when I did, he did not seem amused I was interrupting.

“What?” he snapped as his sword went into another Phantom.

“It’s Aphrodite. She’ll die without you.” I plunged my sword into a Phantom behind me and waited.

Raphael nodded. “Where is she?”

I turned. “Over—”

In an instant Raphael was running ahead of me, pushing through the crowds of Phantoms in order to
reach Aphrodite.

A young Phantom was leaning over her, whispering something. She laughed. She always was vain.
But she wasn’t a Seeker. She was one of my kind. For her to be on the other side meant I would be
fighting my family. It also meant if she was ever with a Phantom, used in the wrong way, they could
produce a very powerful race.

I would kill her myself before that happened.

Charging through the crowds proved difficult, with every Phantom wanting to stab me in the heart. I

finally broke through the last group of Phantoms, only to have every last one of them screech and
disappear back into the sky.

Aphrodite was gone with them.

Raphael was on his knees by the tree, his head in his hands.

Nobody understood how bad this really was. Nobody but the archangels and me.

I sank to my knees and covered my face with my hands.

My family was lost, forever.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Seth

Athena was fading fast. I could only heal her outside wounds. It would be impossible to give her
blood.

“Wait,” I said aloud, suddenly remembering a flicker of memory from my past. Blood. It had to do
with blood. My blood.

I was fallen, but I still had angelic blood in my veins. I just didn’t know how to get it from me to her. I
wracked my brain. The only thing I could think of meant acting like a total lunatic and truly giving into
a side I’d much rather forget about. If I cut open her skin, I risked killing her, but if it worked, it might
just save her life.

“Athena, I need you to listen.” I steadied her against the wall. “I’m going to do something dangerous.”

Her head fell toward me; she didn’t have the strength to lift it anymore.

I cursed and used my dagger to slice open my hand. I held it to her lips and squeezed. I was seriously
grasping at straws here. I had no idea how the human body worked. Would it digest the blood? Would
it use the blood to heal her from the inside out? That was what I hoped would happen.

She clung to my hand, her mouth hovering near the opening. Color returned to her skin; it seemed to be
working, but it wasn’t working fast enough. I cut my other hand and used my dagger to cut her arm and
began squeezing my blood across her cuts. As they healed they sucked in my blood and closed.

“Can you make it now?” I asked, feeling slightly weak.

“Yes.” She nodded her head. “Thank you, Seth.” Athena leaned in and kissed me. Slightly weird, but
who I am I to complain?

I nodded my head and led her across the fires.

I would have taken it for her. In fact, I would have died for her. The screams coming out of her mouth
were something out of my worst nightmares. I clenched my teeth and pulled her forward.

After an eternity, we reached the end. I scooped her up into my arms just as she passed out and ran as
fast as I could toward the crossroads.

Once we were outside the cave, we were hit with a warm wind. Something had happened, but I didn’t

have time to think about it. Strength gone, all I knew was that Athena needed Raphael, and she needed
him fast.

I ran through the trees, not even feeling my feet as they cut against the forest floor. Soon we were at
the clearing. Raphael was on his knees by a tree, and Adonis was next to him. Everyone looked sad,
but I had no time to ask why.

“Raphael, she’s injured. You must heal her!” I collapsed in front of him and dropped her to the
ground, my hands shaking as blood trickled down my arms. I had officially lost the power to heal
myself and given it all to her. I just hoped it was enough.

Clearly my body was going into shock. I couldn’t stop shaking.

Raphael reached for me. “No,” I yelled. “Her. Help her first.”

Trembling, I ripped off my shirt and tried to stop the bleeding in my hand and arm, but the blood just
kept flowing out of me. Great, now I was going to bleed to death.

Raphael blew above Athena’s lips and slowly her cuts healed; she inhaled deeply and opened her
eyes. It was the last thing I saw, as my eyes grew heavy, and I fell into nothingness.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Adonis

“Athena? Love? Can you hear me?” I touched her face. Since the battle, it had changed dramatically.
Her skin seemed to glow even lighter. Raphael said it was because of Seth’s blood. The guy had
practically killed himself in the process.

“Athena?”

“Hmm?” Her eyes flickered open, and then she jerked awake. “What happened? Where are we?”

I pulled her into my arms and kissed her, only releasing her because we were in Headquarters.
“We’re back at Headquarters.”

“Oh.” She lifted her hand to her head and groaned. “I want to die.”

“No, you don’t.” I chuckled. “Don’t ever say that. I almost lost you.”

“But you didn’t.” She smiled and let out a sigh.

“No.”

“Because of Seth.” She said it slowly as if she was just understanding who’d saved her. Her gaze
flickered around the room.

I cleared my throat. “They wouldn’t let me go after you.”

“Why?”

“Oh, you know, a weak excuse. Something about my emotions for you overshadowing my duty and all
that.”

She grinned. “Because you love me.”

“Yes, because I love you.” It felt so good to say it out loud again. I held her in my arms and inhaled
her scent. “Please don’t scare me like that ever again.”

“I live to keep you on your toes.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, unable to keep my hands from traveling down her arms just to make sure she
was really whole and not still bleeding or in pieces. It had taken a few minutes for Raphael’s healing

to kick in.

A knock sounded at the door. I relinquished my hold on Athena and looked across the room.

Seth stood there, a sheepish grin on his face. He looked like crap. But, I would too if I had bled
myself dry. He was still unable to do much except walk around. I knew he was bored out of his mind
because he reminded me of it every time I visited him and didn’t play cards.

“Seth.” Athena grinned so brightly I nearly fell off my chair. “I missed you.”

I fought the urge to punch Seth in the face.

“I missed you too,” he said, a look of confusion spreading across his face as his eyes flickered to me
and then back to Athena. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay.”

Athena sighed. “I’m great. Thanks to you.”

Seth blushed. “Not a problem.”

The room fell silent as they both looked at me.

I felt like I wasn’t wanted. I cleared my throat. “I, uh, I need to go check on something.” I stepped out
of the room and went in search of Michael.

Once I reached his door, I knocked, then let myself in. He was, of course, waiting for me. It was as if
he knew my every move.

“I take it you know,” Michael said once I took a seat.

“Know?” I repeated.

For once Michael looked uncertain; his eyes shifted from me to the door and back again. “About Seth
and Athena?”

“Do we need to use their names in the same sentence right now?” I asked sarcastically.

Michael didn’t look amused, in fact he looked worried.

I put my hands in the air. “I was joking. What’s wrong?”

Michael scratched his head. “When Seth gave his blood to Athena, it was more powerful than, as a
Seeker, what she is used to.”

“Makes sense.” I nodded. “He used to be an archangel, so I can understand that on a molecular level
it would be different. Will it hurt her?”

Michael shook his head. “No, just the opposite. She will be even better at her job. If that’s possible.”

We laughed together, and then the room fell silent again.

“It created a bond,” he said quietly.

“A bond?” I repeated. “Like a brother-sister bond?” Please say yes, please say yes.

“No,” Michael said. “A little stronger than that. You see, as partners, you and Athena complement
each other. She needs you to be stronger. She relies on you to be the best she can be.”

I licked my lips. “Does she need me anymore?”

“Of course!” Michael laughed. “Now more than ever!”

“Why more than ever?”

And why was Michael shifting so much in his seat, like I was going to explode at any minute?

“Because Seth needs Athena the way Athena needs you.”

“Come again?”

“Because she has nearly all of his original blood. She brings him comfort, healing, companionship.
She is his other half.”

“But she’s my other half,” I argued.

“I know.” Michael sighed. “In a way, the three of you need each other.”

“No.”

“I’m afraid so.”

“But what about…” My mind immediately went to my ideas for Athena. I wanted us to be together,
forever, and my little fantasy didn’t include Seth tagging along like some third wheel.

“If Seth doesn’t have Athena, he will eventually succumb to the Darkness, Adonis. I’m sorry to say,
but where you two go, he follows.”

I looked around the room for something to throw. But the only thing I could think of was the chair I
was sitting in, and I didn’t think Michael would approve of my childishness or immature response.

“I know you need some time to process this, and I am sorry that you have this burden.”

“I just want her heart,” I said softly, walking to the door.

“Son, sometimes there are things worth fighting for.”

I nodded and made my way back to Athena’s room.

Seth was already gone; she was lying in her bed staring out the window at the dark ocean. A whale
swam by. She smiled and sighed.

“Daydreaming?” I asked taking a seat next to her.

“I guess.” She shrugged then looked at me, her eyes violet. “Seth told me about… the blood thing.”

“Did he now?” I tried to keep the bitterness from my voice but was doing a terrible job.

Athena reached for my hand. “It changes nothing, Adonis. You know how I feel about you.”

“Do I?” I shook my head, disgusted with myself for being so insecure.

“I love you.” She leaned forward and kissed me, her lips so soft against mine that for a second I felt
like I was on some sort of drug, unable to decipher between reality and fantasy.

I ended the kiss with a groan of frustration.

“We have a long road ahead of us.” She bit her lip. “More battles to fight now that Aphrodite and
Narcissus have gone to the Phantoms.”

Seth came into the room looking less than pleased that I was kissing Athena.

“Hey, blood partner.” He winked.

Not one to normally resort to violence, I shocked myself when I reached for the dagger on the dresser.

Seth lifted his hands in the air and smirked.

We’d all be lucky if he made it to the end of the week without landing on the opposite end of one of
my swords.

“I just wanted to see if you guys were up for a little mission,” Seth said. “Apparently, the Twelve are
having a little issue, and Alexander needs our help.”

“A vampire?” Athena’s eyes narrowed.

“Not technically,” I answered. “They’re like me. Different, but not really an abomination. If they feed
on too much blood or drain themselves in sacrifice then they turn into Nephilim, consumed by
thoughts of Darkness. So as long as Alexander keeps order, there is nothing to fear.”

Athena chewed on her lower lip. “And what if chaos breaks out amongst the different families? What
happens then?”

Seth raised his hand. “I can answer that. War. Lots and lots of war. Michael wants to prevent that
from happening. They’ve been one of El’s best kept secrets. We mean to keep it that way. Besides…”
Seth shrugged. “They aren’t fighters, they’re intellectuals. Want to know how to cure cancer? Just ask

Alexander. They know all. It’s kind of sickening.”

Athena moved from the bed and grabbed her dagger. “Well? What are you guys waiting for?”

“That’s my girl.” I kissed the top of her head and noticed Seth flinch as if in pain.

“I’ll just give you guys a moment.” Seth excused himself and left me alone with Athena.

She was artful perfection.

“I’ll stand by you for an eternity.” I took her mouth and sucked on the honey of her tongue before
cupping her face with my hands.

“Promise?” she whispered against my lips.

“Promise.” I pulled her in for one last kiss, allowing that kiss to cloud the fear of what tomorrow
held.

For right now, I had the love of my life, my partner, my soul mate. That was enough. For now.

Be looking for the sequel to Divine Uprising,

the story of Alexander King,

coming soon!

About the Author

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author
of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at
Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She
loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at www.rachelvandyken.com

Also by Rachel Van Dyken:

The Ugly Duckling Debutante

The Seduction of Sebastian St. James

The Redemption of Lord Rawlings

Every Girl Does it

The Parting Gift

Waltzing With the Wallflower

Savage Winter

Upon A Midnight Dream

Whispered Music

Beguiling Bridget

Taming Wilde

Compromising Kessen

The Devil Duke Takes a Bride

The Bet

Elite

Tear: A Seaside Novel

Pull: A Seaside Novel

Shatter: A Seaside Novel

Also by Rachel Van Dyken:

Prologue

“Kyle, run! You have to run!” Kaden screamed in my face, trying to raise his voice above the
windstorm ripping through the trees. The Empirical Enforcement Squad was fast approaching. I
couldn’t hear them, but the black uniforms were spotted through the thick forest like a warning
beacon.

“Kyle! Didn’t you hear me?” Kaden took me by the shoulders and gave me a large shove towards the
north forest. “If they catch you, you’re as good as dead.” A tear ran down his cheek and rolled across
his quivering lip.

With a cry, I flung my arms around his shoulders and let out a sob before turning on my heel and
running.

I had to go. I had to escape the Enforcers. Most of the little girls they caught died in their hands,
ravaged and then killed. The ones who lived ended up taking their own lives. It was not an option for

me, nor for my best friend, who was doing his utmost to push me into the shadow of the trees.

I knew what he was doing.

Sacrificing his life, so I could have mine.

For the fate of little boys was worse than girls.

Slavery.

And I knew Kaden would rather die than be a slave. Naturally, they would oblige him. And it would
be my fault. All because I was out picking berries and daydreaming in the forest past curfew. But all
of that didn’t matter, not now, when I was literally watching my life play out in front of my very eyes.

I let out a pitiful scream as I reached the edge of the woods. There was a clearing directly in front of
me, and the forest continued to the right. I quickly calculated my chances in the forest and then in the
clearing.

The clearing had a large lake I could run around and possibly hide in, that was if they didn’t stop and
search for me. Once in the clearing it would be possible to outrun the Enforcers and their ships, for
they moved slower over water. None of us really knew why. It was just a fact.

My lungs burned in protest as my tired legs urged me forward. My feet caught a branch, surging me
forward towards the sharply-wooded forest floor.

I screamed from the impact and warm blood trickled down both of my legs. I paused to take a look at
the large wounds on my shins and frantically brushed away the dirt near the cuts.

I had no time left. I could hear the shouting. With a whimper, I scrambled underneath a rock ledge and
peered over. The ledge shielded me from being seen but smelled musty and old. Thoughts of snakes
and rats flooded my brain, but I had to stay safe. My gaze locked on movement from where I had just
run.

Kaden was leaning against one of the trees. I could make out his devastating features. With brown
hair and warm eyes, he was so handsome it was hard not to tremble in his presence. His strong arms
braced across his chest, and a mocking smile firmly in place.

I watched in horror as two of the Enforcers approached the trees next to Kaden. His expression was
strong, unwavering. I would always remember him that way—courageous.

He looked like a warrior. A feeling of self sufficiency washed over me. It was the first time in my
short life that I felt grown up, even if it hadn’t been of my own choosing. At only thirteen and fifteen,
we had been forced to grow up before our time. To provide for our mothers who, when they gave
birth, often faced the perils of death from lack of medical supplies. And to give food to our brothers
and sisters, all in hope that one day we would be free from the tyrannical government of the West
Republic.

Kaden didn’t even scream as the Enforcer slapped him across the face. Nor did he flinch when the
man spit on him, the saliva mingling with the blood tricking down his chiseled jaw.

At fifteen, Kaden was the eldest of my friends. I had always been half in love with him. But what girl
wouldn’t be? He had helped feed my family for the past five years when my father was unable to
work. He was so protective, so gallant. If only it wouldn’t have cost him his life.

I crouched closer to the ground. Pine needles brushed against my legs, burning my flesh. I had always
been allergic, and now it seemed to flare to life at the worst of times.

I reached down and rubbed the exposed part of my legs to relieve some of the pain, cursing my
stupidity at wearing such tattered pants out in the woods.

Kaden swore as the Enforcer grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. The black of his uniform burned
my eyes in all of its symbolism, like death had descended upon us. The Enforcer’s gloved hands
clenched around Kadens’ face as he asked about me. My gaze darted to the horrific scene, watching
my world crumble. Each piece hit the floor until finally there was nothing left.

Kaden lunged for the man but was subdued by another hit to the head.

I froze.

Kaden looked the man in the eye and smiled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Perhaps
you’re mistaken?”

The Enforcer swore and punched Kaden in the stomach. I had to fight the bile building in my throat.
Extreme nausea overcame me. How could a person be so cruel? I was one girl. What worth was I to
the Republic? One girl couldn’t cause so much harm as they thought. After all, girls were worth
nothing to the government, merely slaves or a means to providing more heirs to the empire. I knew it
was just the fact that they lost me, and they would suffer the consequences. Nothing more, nothing
less.

It had to be.

“I’ll ask you one more time—where is the girl?” The Enforcer seemed to enjoy inflicting pain on
Kaden. His smile wide as he continued to deliver blows to Kaden’s body.

Kaden grinned. “I’ll tell you one more time. I have no idea what girl you’re talking about.”

“So you’ll die,” the man said plainly.

“So I will,” Kaden answered.

A scream erupted from my throat before I could stop it. Without warning, Enforcers came crushing
around me, dragging me to my feet, and pulling me towards the ship. “No! No! Kaden!” I yelled and
begged, but Kaden was nowhere to be found. I gave myself up in vain with the small hope that at least
my sacrifice would save his life.

Finally as Enforcers began to circle me, knives raised, I caught a glimpse of his white shirt amongst
all the darkness of the Empire’s death squad.

I pushed at the Enforcer. If only I could keep my gaze on Kaden, then he would be safe. The forest
buzzed to life with the Enforcer ship whipping the trees. My eyes stung from swirling debris, trying to
stay open. Kaden disappeared behind the black uniforms, then appeared again as the Enforcer lifted
me into the ship.

Two men approached Kaden. The first struck him across the face causing him to stumble to the
ground. The second man pulled out a red dagger.

The last thing I saw was Kaden being stabbed in the back. A dark Enforcer knife lodged in his flesh. I
couldn’t tell where the knife began and Kaden ended.

My world went black.

Chapter One

Six years later

I yawned as the scent of water lilies and lilacs wafted into my room. It was more of a prison, but I
never said the word aloud lest I upset my adopted family and cause my own death.

I was already in trouble for trying to leave the castle grounds without Lex’s commanding presence.
He was my own private security detail and an all around easy guy to get along with—at least when he
was in a good mood, which, lucky for me, was often. I read to him, and he took me wherever I wanted
to go.

Those in the service of the West Republic were never allowed an education. It was the one way the
Republic was able to keep order within the realm. If servants were not educated, then they lacked the
knowledge to rise up against authority.

I, of course, was an exception, considering I was captured at such a young age. The Emperor never
told me why he spared my life, or why I was to be untouched by any of the Enforcers. Only that I had
a specific destiny, one that even he could not reveal to me until the time came.

He’s old. That’s why I often credited his odd ramblings to his senile mind. After all, what could one
girl possibly do that would affect the world in any way?

Besides, that life was gone. It was taken from me the day they killed my best friend. Tears burned my
eyes at the sudden memory. Six years was a long time to mourn the loss of a friend, but at night the
tears still rolled down my cheeks, the smell of pine needles wafted into my consciousness, and the
absolute terror that gripped my chest the moment Kaden was ripped from this world all came back.

I would never see his playful smile again. It had always seemed to make my days better when I could
start off the morning with Kaden greeting me or teasing me. His smile had been devastating, innocent
but at the same time secretive and sensual. Yet nothing compared to the way his hand felt in mine. I
shuddered, never again would the warmth of his tight embrace surround me.

He had given me my first kiss that year.

We were hunting for squirrels. He’d stopped to pick up a smooth stone—I always collected smooth
stones for my slingshot. He’d handed it to me and then kept hanging on to my hand.

He had said, “I know right now it doesn’t make sense to you. But I pledge my life to yours.” His green
eyes had twinkled, and I loved the way that he made me feel, as if I was the most beautiful girl in the
world.

“And I pledge my life to yours,” I had answered back, swearing my undying loyalty, though I was so
nervous I had thought I might throw up. Even in my immaturity I knew the oath that I had made. I had

told him that I wanted to be with him and nobody else. I was his and he was mine.

“Forever?” he’d asked.

“Forever,” I had repeated, my gaze never wavering as it burned into his.

Kaden’s head descended, and in an instant his warm lips swept across mine. My knees had almost
buckled, but I managed to keep upright as he pressed his lips against mine.

With a chuckle, he pulled back. “One of these days, Kyle, you’re going to be mine, and if you faint,
I’m just going to have to kiss you harder.”

Embarrassed that I had almost passed out during such a mind-altering exchange, I had turned away.

We never spoke of the kiss again. Three days later, he was captured.

“Kyle?” The Emperor’s voice reverberated down the hall, shaking me from my melancholy.

I turned to face the man I had grown to hate, my slippered feet lightly tapping the marble as I
approached him.

“Your Highness?” I bowed, crossing my arm over my chest to touch my opposite shoulder.

The man I owed my life to surged through the room. His large belly protruded from his white court
dress. Every time I spoke to him, I felt sick to my stomach and prayed I wouldn’t get struck with the
whips again. Nobody was allowed to lay a hand on me, but the Emperor had his own idea about the
rules given by the Elders.

“Why are you not dressed?”

I looked down, embarrassed that I was still in my silk nightgown, and that he of all people had seen
me in such a state of undress. “I was just about to get ready. Did you need something, Highness?”

“Yes.” He whistled, and the servants came running. “Please dress Princess Kyle in her courtwear.
She is to meet the Prince of Trilivad today.”

A hushed silence went through the servants. It was the only way they could show displeasure—
silence.

“Well?” The Emperor’s eyebrows shot up in impatience.

“Do as he says,” I said in an even voice. They were loyal servants…to me, not the Emperor. “And
what is this meeting to be about, Your Highness?”

Challenging him would put me in a dangerous position. One where I could be denied food for days on
end, but if I was to be presented to the devil—that of the cruel Eastern Republic—I, at least, wanted
to know why.

The Emperor smiled and patted his protruding belly with heavily jeweled fingers. “Oh, my dear, the
day is finally here. You are to marry him. This very day, you marry the prince, and thereby set forth
into motion the destiny revealed to the Elders. You shall align both Republics of Paleo—the East and
the West with your marriage—and finally we will have peace.”

With a gleeful laugh, the Emperor made his hasty exit, only pausing once as he smiled at his own
reflection in the mirror. His heavy footsteps pounded the floor. Once the heavy pounding faded, I
knew I was safe.

I exhaled a sigh of resignation and glared at the door. Forced into marriage? That was why he saved
me at the age of thirteen? He saw me as a profitable trade? I clenched my fists at my sides. The man
was impossible!

He didn’t believe himself to be a cruel man. But fear caused people to act rashly, and the Emperor
lived in a constant state of fear. It was easy for everyone to see. He was constantly replacing the royal
guard, so convinced was he that there were betrayers within his inner circle. He never ate food that
hadn’t first been tested by a servant, and at night he made the guards stay awake outside his bedroom,
lest someone try to murder him in his sleep. Truly his mind was not his own, and for that, at times I
pitied him.

“Kyle?” Madge put a comforting arm around me. “He lives and breathes to be noticed, to be a god
among men. I fear one day he may turn on even you, my child. We do not know the ways of the Elders,
but perhaps it would be good for you to get away from The West.”

“The East is no better,” I said, my voice emotionless.

I had heard tales of the East. Unending deserts and a hot sun that never relented. The men of the East
were rumored to be cruel to their women and uncaring in their marriages. It seemed that no matter
where I lived, it would not get better.

If I stayed in the West, I stayed in prison. If I married this prince, I would surely be beaten, for the
custom in the East was to beat women into submission, but at least I would leave the memories of
Kaden behind. It was torture living with the same people that killed him. I saw the Enforcer that stole
his life on a daily basis and hated myself for eating the same food, in the same banquet hall. Perhaps
his memory would stay in the West. That I could deal with—the nightmares about him were growing
worse, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt that I had survived, while Kaden had died.

After all, I had done nothing but shame him with the life I continued to live. I was under the protection
of the very people who stole his last breath. And because of that, I wanted to die every day I had a
heartbeat when he did not.

I was disappointed and utterly repulsed by the idea that I would be marrying the arrogant prince, also
known as the Monster of the East. No doubt he would beat me beyond recognition or have his way
with me and make me wish for death every time he came to my bed. I closed my eyes and allowed
myself one selfish tear.

But only one.

Kaden always told me that two tears were the sign of weakness, but one tear…one was allowed. I
often cried one tear and tried desperately to hide the rest.

“My lady.” Madge curtsied and began the tedious task of dressing me in the elaborate courtwear of
The West. We were forced to wear tightly fitted dresses that flowed out at the waist. A cape was
attached around our shoulders, with the symbol of the West etched in the fur on the back.

Each of the two remaining countries of the Republic was given court colors. Ours was white. Sadly,
all it did was remind me of a wedding dress. One I wouldn’t be wearing with Kaden by my side, but
a complete monster.

With a sigh, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Bright blue eyes stared back. Ebony hair trailed
down to my waist. Eyelashes “longer than sin,” according to Madge, fanned against my high
cheekbones. My frame had always been small. I was often made fun of as a child for being so little,
but as I grew, my body filled out.

I often noticed Enforcers staring at me, but never feared for my life or my virtue. To touch me was
certain death, and every man within the country knew it.

I was a princess after all. Even though I was only a captured civilian, to them I was the princess and
would always be so. The Emperor had decreed me his adopted daughter. The thought of being
anything to him, even his servant, made me shudder.

“My lady, if I may say so, the white is very becoming.” Madge pulled at the tightly strung corset.
Crystals were sewn into the fabric, making the white look as if it were shining. My dark hair hung in
waves around my shoulders. I closed my eyes for the worst part.

The shots always hurt. It was like being stung repeatedly all over my body, but it was the only way to
keep the glow.

It had always seemed silly, this glowing business. But every royal had to. We had to literally shine;
we needed to look like gods next to the slaves. It made sense, for we never saw the sun. Only the
clouds and the rain. It was the only way to tell a royal from a slave, the radiance of one’s skin.

So they injected a glowing serum into our bloodstream. It changed the skin pigment, making us
glimmer. My light, as I liked to call it, was a golden hue to match my dark eyes and hair.

I hated it.

Almost as much as I hated being a prisoner.

But if this was the life I had to live so my family could be safe, so one day I could possibly free them
all, I would do it.

I closed my eyes as the sting of the shots hit full force. Within seconds it was over with, but the

swelling was still felt around my neck.

I stretched and nodded for my cape.

A blue velvet cape was attached to my gown in the back, the blue of the West. It was our symbol, the
royal sign that I was of the royal family.

The East wore black and red, always black and red. We said it was because they were of the devil—
that Satan himself lived in the East—but I knew better. It wasn’t the devil that lived in the East. No,
he lived right here in the castle with me, and his title was Emperor.

In my mind, nothing could be worse than the whippings I received from him. I only hoped the prince
would be less inclined to hit me when I accidently spoke out of turn.

“I’m ready,” I said to the servants. Their eyes beheld horror, and I pitied them, for their fear for me
was greater than my fear for myself.

When you’ve lost everything dear to you, you no longer fear death. No, you fear life.

Also from Astraea Press

Chapter One

Wanted: Youth Ages 14-18 Must be willing to work outdoors and enjoy camping. Room and board
included.

I rocked back on my heels and scanned the job board for any other possibles which might fit my age
and desire category. No-ooope. Nothing else. According to this Job Corps office, no other
employment possibilities existed on the planet or the state. No one in Utah wanted to hire a
seventeen-year-old, soon-to-be senior, just for the summer, with no job skills or experience. I was not
about to include my hideous six week stint as a shoe salesman for the local big box discount store as
job experience on any application.

My groan brought Conor to my side. He bumped my shoulder with his typical buddy body language.
“Any luck?”

I didn’t even turn. “Apparently no one wants to hire kids at the moment. How about you?”

In my peripheral vision, I caught him shaking his head. “Yeah. Especially because I don’t have
construction experience. I’m not a lifeguard, and I don’t have a welding license.” Conor motioned to
the cards on the board.

“You need a license to weld?” That was news to me.

He shrugged. “According to that…” He jerked his thumb at another nearby wall. “…I would.”

I felt like banging my head against the slotted wall in front of me. “I knew I should’ve signed up for
that lifeguard class.” I turned to look at him. “Remind me next time not to listen to my mother. I
could’ve squeezed it in.”

“Like you would’ve given up your role in Oklahoma.”

Conor grinned. That dimple, which always made the knees of half the girls at our high school go
weak, appeared. I knew it had that effect, because apparently being his best friend, those girls at our
school who felt moved by that dimple also felt the need to share their earth-shattering experiences
with me. Like telling me would earn points with him? Good grief. Sigh. Of course, that dimple also
made him look about three years older than his same-as-me seventeen. Wish my dimple did that. I
swear, mine made me look about five years younger.

He was right of course. Nothing would’ve dragged me off the stage last year, and I couldn’t have
missed rehearsals to get to the class. So, I did the most mature thing I could think of — I stuck out my
tongue.

This made him laugh. His dark curls bounced with his body’s movement. They wouldn’t be around
much longer because he hated the bushy look almost as much as I hated mine, and as soon as his curls
were long enough that he could feel them move — snick! They’d be gone.

“And so—” I tightened my jaw, “here we stand… thanks to my mom and her brilliant idea that we
come to the Job Corps to find a job.” I wrinkled my nose. “Not only do half the people here scare me
— and it smells in here — these are real full time jobs not just summer stuff for kids.”

Conor leaned past me, and reached toward the board. “What’s this?” He pulled off the card I’d read
earlier. “This sounds promising. Wanted: Ages 14-18. Must be willing to work outdoors and enjoy
camping. Room and board included.” He nudged my arm. “We like the outdoors. And we like to
camp. Well, you’re more picky than I am. But… you’ve got to admit, it sounds interesting.”

I snatched the card away and pointed out the last sentence. “Room and board included? Conor, that
means living some place. It doesn’t even say where, and can you see our parents agreeing to let the
two of us go off somewhere where we’d be living all summer? Get real!”

He grabbed my jacket sleeve and dragged me toward a job counselor’s desk. “It can’t hurt to get all
the information before giving up.” He made a rude noise with his lips. “It sounds like to me that you
don’t even really want to find a job.”

He pushed me into the nearest seat, while I thought about pulling the chair he was about to sink into

out from under him. Finally, he was started to get the real idea. Getting a full-time job was not how I
really wanted to spend my summer.

“Yeah, well, if you like camping so much you could’ve applied for one of those summer camp jobs
your dad kept telling you about. Let’s see, now, what’s that saying your dad keeps on about? Oh yeah,
‘once a Blazer always a Blazer’.”

He clapped the card on the desk, and gave the employment counselor a warm smile, but when he
turned toward me, the smile faded while his eyes narrowed. “I’m not suicidal or certifiable. Blazers
Boys’ camps are dangerous places, Benz. All those lack of brain cells and all that exploding
testosterone? You’d be lucky to ever see me again alive.” His attention moved back to the counselor,
his smile reappeared like the sun slipping out from behind a cloud. “So, tell us about this job.”

****

I gripped the phone and punched the last button, still confused why I was making the call. Much to my
surprise, instead of my parents digging in their heels with arguments like, “we couldn’t let our darling
daughter leave us, we’d miss her too much!” or “are you kidding? There’s bears and snakes out in the
woods, you might get hurt.” Their response was more like, “Hmm, working out in the woods would
be great for you! Call and check it out.”

Call and check it out. Setting my eyebrows low and glaring out at the world, I waited for the phone
to connect. After just a half ring, a voice on the other end answered.

“Norman Schlemmer.” Norman’s slightly nasal tenor voice — not to mention his name — brought to
mind a dark-headed, narrow shouldered man, wearing black thick-framed glasses, while sitting
hunched at his messy desk.

“Uh, M-Mr. Sch-schlemmer.” I never did do well with calling people. “My name is Mercedes
Bennion. I-I’m calling a-about the-uh—” I scanned the printout for the twentieth time since the job
counselor gave it to me. “Youth Conservation Corps job that was listed with Job Corps?”

I heard his chair squeak, and I pictured him leaning back on an ancient wooden chair. “Yes, it starts
next week and goes for ten weeks. We’re looking for someone willing to commit for that long.”

“I’m available, sir. I don’t have other plans this summer. “Blast it. No friends included me in water
ski trips this year, no church rafting planned, no days at the local amusement park. All my usual
summer activities seemed to have fizzled now that I was going to be a senior. Like everyone and
everything I knew expected me to work! Sigh.

“The teams will be living at Brighton Ski Lodge.”

Ski lodge? I sat up straighter.

“We’ll mostly be working in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons.”

Images of tall pines, steep granite walls, and the fast moving rivers which rushed through both

canyons filled my mind. I loved Little Cottonwood. Dozens of family picnics, church overnights, and
even youth group hikes had made me think of that canyon as mine. The idea of living at a ski resort for
two and a half months tantalized my mind enough to make it buzz.

“You still interested?”

“Yes, sir.” Unbelievably, I actually was.

“Did they explain about the possible biology credit?”

Biology credit? I sat forward in my seat as my interest rose from 2.0 on the Richter scale to 8.5. I
only needed a half more science credit to graduate. It didn’t matter what kind. Did he really mean
there might be a chance I wouldn’t have to face more of our sparkling (not!), fascinating (read:
boring), near-retirement science department? I held my breath. Maybe I’d misheard.

“We’ll be giving crews hands-on science opportunities throughout the summer, and we’ve got
permission from the State School Board to give anyone who successfully finishes out the season a
half-credit of biology, good at any school district in the state.”

“No, sir, they didn’t mention it.” I wanted to punch the air with joy. It was a miracle, that’s what it
was. A miracle!

“You’ll need a good pair of hiking boots. Steel toed might be best.”

They make boots with steel toes? Who knew?

“They should be waterproofed. You’ll need a couple of long sleeved blue work shirts — those are
our uniforms. Jeans. A warm sleeping bag, some good rain gear.”

Good grief! I should’ve been writing this all down.

He continued with the list a bit longer, then paused. “So, we’ll see you at Skyline High at eight on
Monday?”

“Yes, sir.”

“All right then. Welcome to the Youth Conservation Corps, Mercedes.”

“Thank you, Mr. Schlemmer.”

The line went dead, and I stared at the list hoping I hadn’t missed or forgotten something. Then it hit
me. I’d done it! I had a job.

I shouted for my mom, but not finding her home, I raced outside and jumped on my bike and began
pedaling like a demon. Three blocks later, I leaped off my bike taking the time to drop the kickstand,
because my dad would kill me if the racing bike I’d whined over for nearly a year was dropped,
abandoned, on Conor’s lawn. Of course, when it fell over, I didn’t rush back to fix it.

Two long steps took me to the wall leading to the grass, then three more, and I’d reached the porch.
The front door was open, allowing in the warm, early summer air. I gave a quick knock on the screen
door, but didn’t wait for anyone to answer.

“It’s me, Mrs. Perry!”

“Afternoon, Mercedes.” Her voice came from the kitchen, as usual. That woman always seemed to be
in the kitchen. (Not like my mother, whose most hated words in the English language were What’s for
dinner?) Mrs. Perry added, “Want some frozen yogurt?”

“Maybe later, Mrs. Perry. Thanks!”

My feet flew up the stairs, and my fingers grabbed the dark, polished banister as I took the flight at
least two steps at a time. The wood protested as I spun the corner at the top, turning sharply. My heart
now pounded in my chest, and my lungs complained mightily, but I didn’t care. My hand twisted the
door handle, I knocked once, and pushed on the bedroom door.

“Con—”

He sat, tipped back on his desk’s chair, the phone at his ear.

I dropped onto his bed, scooting back to lean against the wall.

“This sounds like a great opportunity, Mr. Schlemmer.” He gave me a grin.

“Really?” I mouthed.

He nodded. “All right. See you then. Thank you.”

The phone hadn’t even settled fully on the desk when I let out an ear piercing shriek of joy and
launched myself at him.

“Easy, Merck!” he complained, using his pet name for me as we collided. “Give a guy a break. I need
air.”

“We’re going! We’re going!” I screamed with glee. “We’re really going.”

He laughed and peeled my arms from around his neck. “Yeah, we’re really going, but so help me, if
you get me into trouble…”

I dropped back onto his bed with a heavy “humph,” and put my feet on the metal bed frame. “Trouble?
Me? Now, what sort of trouble could I get you in?”

Table of Contents

Divine Uprising
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
About the Author
Also by Rachel Van Dyken:
Also by Rachel Van Dyken:
Also from Astraea Press

Table of Contents

Divine Uprising

2

Chapter One

4

Chapter Two

10

Chapter Three

13

Chapter Four

21

Chapter Five

23

Chapter Six

26

Chapter Seven

31

Chapter Eight

36

Chapter Nine

42

Chapter Ten

49

Chapter Eleven

58

Chapter Twelve

67

Chapter Thirteen

78

Chapter Fourteen

85

Chapter Fifteen

91

Chapter Sixteen

97

Chapter Seventeen

102

Chapter Eighteen

107

Chapter Nineteen

110

Chapter Twenty

112

Chapter Twenty-One

118

Chapter Twenty-Two

124

Chapter Twenty-Three

126

Chapter Twenty-Four

135

Chapter Twenty-Five

142

Chapter Twenty-Six

147

Chapter Twenty-Seven

151

Chapter Twenty-Eight

153

About the Author

158

Also by Rachel Van Dyken:

159

Also by Rachel Van Dyken:

160

Also from Astraea Press

169